The Path Chosen
by Jack Blade
Summary: AU. Without Comet Camori in the picture, would the battle against 'The Saiyan of Legend' have reached a different climax altogether? What then? Witness the unexpected birth of an inner conscience for a self-proclaimed 'monster'... who now owes his most HATED adversary a debt. Beginning set during the 10 days before the Cell Games.
1. Chapter 1

**The Path Chosen**

Prologue

**Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit, fan-based piece of fiction. Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT belong to Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release.**

**AN: I've ALWAYS wanted to say that, LOL!**

**Phew! I'm feeling kinda nervous right now cuz this is my very FIRST DBZ fanfic folks. (*shivers in anxiety*) **

**Hopefully it turns out to be as good as I have mentally envisioned it to be. All suggestions for improvement shall be 'more than welcome' (just so you know).  
**

**Ready? Here. We. GO!**

* * *

**New Planet Vegeta –**

*Pant!* *Pant!* _Uhhh… ugh…!_

The concussion had, thankfully, begun to ease up... although my head still throbbed painfully.

"...!"

_W-What is… this? I-Impossible… can't... be…_ I groaned once more in pain.

_How can this be?! Me, an almighty super saiyan, feeling something as trivial as this?! Impossible._

"Uhn...!" It seemed that a deep gash in my chest cavity had to say otherwise.

_D-Dammit! That fool… how did he manage to do this? **How**?!_

Cracking my eyes open by a fraction, the act proving to be a challenge for some odd reason, my gaze fell upon my outstretched right arm. _What?_

I was apparently lying face down; entire weight of my large body pressing down onto that very same 'wound' that was presently being the cause of my never-ending irritation. _How… (Cough!) How did **I** end up in this pathetic state? Grrr…!_

Panting out for air; left elbow digging into the earth below my heavy frame, I tried to heave my bulk up onto my knees… _Ungh! W-Why am I so damaged?! Surely someone like him couldn't have-?_

... soon finding it to be a futile attempt on my part.

"Rraa-!"

Solid gravity tugging onto my girth, combined with my own weakened state caused me to crash back down into a sad heap, left cheek stuck onto the ground as I snarled in unbridled annoyance. _I… I can't believe this! Damn him…!_

"…"

"!"

Hearing the shuffling of feet onto my right, I strained my neck to catch a glimpse of the man who was undoubtedly responsible for my sense of humiliation.

_K-Kakarot… you…_

* * *

There he was, standing tall as a ferocious aura escaped his body's surface… its raw potency making me growl in irritation once more. _If only I could… kuso!_

Grinding my teeth together, I grunted in pain before gasping out in desperation; inhaled air finding it difficult to escape my lungs as well. _N-No…_

It couldn't be. This… This helpless state that I was in, it was unacceptable. I didn't want to feel like this… I simply did **not** want to feel weak! It brought back too many painful memories to the forefront of my enraged mind. "Grrr… Kakarot! I'll…"

The man in question turned fully towards my immobile form then, his hard gaze making me feel like an utter weakling in front of him. As if he was the one who passed final judgment and I was a measly culprit in front of his all-powerful presence.

"...?"

He was… sighing? Did he… Did he consider me a joke?! How DARE he show me pity! I am the ultimate embodiment of power! I should be laughing at **his** dead corpse right about now! He should be the one lying beneath my feet! This shouldn't be happening!

"Haa… haa… damn!" My legs simply did **not** want to listen to my commands it seemed.

This was bad. I was nothing more than a defenseless target for my most hated adversary... it made me sick to my stomach how he simply stood there as I remained kissing the dirt beneath my chin. _I shouldn't be crippled like this dammit!_

I was slowly, but surely, beginning to **despise** my very existence right then.

"I'm sorry…"

"…?"

A steady breeze blew across the destroyed battlefield that lay right behind the mighty saiyan warrior; silence that followed it being almost deafening for the injured psychopath... things were **that** quiet all of a sudden.

If he wasn't so emotionally scarred, both inside and out, he would have simply laughed his head off at the smaller man's audacity right then.

"W-What?!" _What... did he just say?_

* * *

Sighing dejectedly, Son Goku glanced at his defeated foe; eyes almost sorrowful as they floated over the giant man's pitiful state.

Bright red blood formed a small puddle underneath his stationary form, his legs unmoving and face scrunched up in unmistakable pain and hurt as he simply... lay there.

_He didn't deserve this. But (Sigh)… I'm afraid I don't have a choice._

"I didn't want to do this…" he raised a single hand and directed it towards the prone monstrosity lying ahead of him, bright and sparkling energy taking form within the outstretched palm, "… but you have left me with no other option, Broly."

…

He couldn't believe it.

He… He was actually going to die.

Someone far weaker than him was going to commit the deed… right in front of his face.

The wounded saiyan's facial features tensed up immediately, eyes widening as he saw his end staring at him… dead in the face. _N-No… I… cannot be…!_

"K-Kakarot…"

It was quite inconceivable indeed.

Broly, the mighty super saiyan of legend, was utterly afraid of his plight. His heart thundered in raw fear underneath his large frame… gaping wound being forgotten completely for the time being as his pupil-less eyes remained fixated upon the glowing palm of his enemy.

_He could have been so much more. All that power and he only used it for his own selfish ambitions. I guess in the end... this is for the best._

The man sighed softly; regaining his focus in relation to the matter at hand once more, _I cannot allow a being like him to exist... the whole **universe** could suffer heavily if I do._

Goku, in all honestly, did not really know exactly **why** he was harboring such sentiments towards the monstrous creature lying in front of him. Perhaps it was his kind nature.

Maybe he had sensed a glimmer of hope… somewhere, at some point during their gruesome fight.

"It's time to end this… for good," his mouth formed a thin line, eyes hard once again as the powerful ki blast hummed into life within his outstretched palm.

* * *

"W-WAIT!"

"…?"

Shocked at the outburst, having believed that the man had swallowed too much of his own blood to even be able to form words by that point, the smaller saiyan raised an eyebrow in genuine interest. _What now? I have to get back to the others or they'll surely die of exhaustion…_

"…"

He was in a state of surprise and denial at that point… previous plea being repeated over and over in his head, like a recurring nightmare. _Did I just… beg?_

Consumed once more by righteous anger, the male coughed up a mouthful of his own life-stream whilst trying not to move too much any longer... his injury causing him constant pain and discomfort.

Shaking his head and speaking in a flat tone, Goku frowned at the unmoving saiyan; arm still in its prior position of attack, "What? What is it? Hurry up!"

Shutting his eyes, body trying to fight back the numbness caused by his wound, the defeated man nearly croaked out, "Don't… (Ugh!) Don't kill… me… K-Kakarot."

…

Staring unblinkingly at the face of the grunting warrior, mind in disbelief of what the latter had just stated, the saiyan from earth merely shook his head… frown not dissipating from his brow whatsoever.

"No. I… I cannot allow you to live. My son, my friends, the entire universe would be under constant danger if I did so." He adopted a mask of indifference then, stern gaze aimed at the gasping being lying ahead of him, "Sorry… but this is a risk that I simply cannot take Broly."

"…"

_Great… this is how it ends then. I finally get to enjoy **true** freedom for once and… this happens._

A sinking feeling grew within his heaving chest, making age-old memories of his younger years flash across his mind.

Images of him as an infant were unclear and distorted, but he still remembered how an ice-cold blade had been driven through his fleshy abdomen then… by his race's own **ruler** nonetheless; as his father would later go on to explain to him in chilling detail.

_I… I don't like this. Why doesn't he just kill me already and end my misery?! Does he plan on gloating over his victory before he finishes me off?_

Thoughts that were negative and pessimistic in nature ran rampant across the, currently incapacitated, saiyan's fearful mind… his **own** end making him momentarily forget about the individual standing mere feet onto his right.

* * *

"…"

_Why can't I do it?! Darn! If I let him live…_

Goku eased his harsh gaze upon the large man for a brief moment, observing how his upper torso was nearly shivering. Due to **what**, he may probably never really know.

_Is he… afraid?_

He couldn't understand it. He honestly couldn't.

_If death scares them so much, **why** do they insist upon following this doomed path? Don't they realize that treating all other living creatures as mere playthings; causing death and destruction all around, will only end with them lying face-down? In the dirt?_

The hero sighed deeply, mind confused as to how he should go about handling the present situation. _It was the same with thing with Vegeta; even Frieza was on death's door on Namek. Now... it's his turn._

…

Lowering his arm down to his side, gathered ki fizzing out into nothingness, Goku gazed up at the dark, starry sky above him… all the while wondering as to what his decision should be; heart, for some reason, unwilling to let his fellow saiyan's blood stain his hands._ What should I do? Can… Can someone like him even **be** trusted?_

"…?"

Wondering what was taking his kinsman so long to finish the task, Broly craned his face towards the former… sour grimace telling the whole story of his intense state of pain to one and all.

_What's he (Cough!)… doing?_

Making up his mind at last, Goku adorned a determined expression upon his face; focusing ki back into his right palm before firing it straight towards the paralyzed giant. _Just this once… only enough so that he doesn't try anything funny._

"YAAAA!" _Hope I don't regret this…_

A bright yellow flash of pure energy shot out from his palm, enveloping the incapacitated man's body completely; latter's face been scrunched up as he believed his end to have finally arrived.

_About time… wait, WHAT?_

Whipping his head towards the smaller saiyan, face a reflection of his innate disbelief... as the former's 'foolish' act caught him completely off-guard, Broly chose then to keep his surprise to himself.

Atleast for the time being. _**Why** are you doing this… Kakarot?_

"..." _Almost... there..._

The pure-hearted warrior kept on pumping raw energy into his adversary... feeling his knees tremble as his prior injuries began to catch upto him in the process, face darkening slightly due to the latter, "U-Ugh… darn, I ended up using too much after all huh? Heh… Hehe…"

Eyes rolling to the back of his head, earth's greatest hero felt his knees finally buckle, dark blue soil being the last thing his vision got to see before his entire frame collapsed upon the ground… face down.

* * *

Broly remained frozen for a few solid minutes before snapping out of his hesitancy.

_Why? Why didn't he… kill me?_ the rejuvenated saiyan wondered, shaky hands pushing his weight upwards as he got to his feet, deep sigh escaping his lips as a few drops of blood dripped past his chin.

He eventually stood up straight, tall and imposing frame making him seem like a harbinger of true destruction, possibly akin to a physical 'embodiment' of the latter. Oh, and his, once lethal, injury did not seem to be troubling him as much as before as well... courtesy of his powerful race's genes.

Raising both of his large hands towards his face, the confused man clenched them one at a time, glancing from one to the other as realization slowly dawned upon him. _My power… he…_

His gaze fell upon the fighter lying unconscious before him, arm nearly reaching out towards the latter as an involuntary response… before being halted midway. _Hm. He's out cold alright..._

Looking to his left and then his right, Broly sighed deeply; voice at the back of his mind telling him to **dispose** of the threat to his life right then… without any hesitation.

"...!" _Eh? They're still alive?_

Frowning as the weak ki signals of the remaining warriors registered themselves into his mind, the tall man grunted in slight annoyance, _Heh, bunch of weaklings._

Clenching his right fist, light green ball of energy forming into it as he did so, he aimed the latter towards the very same man who had spared his life…

... intending to finally rid himself of the one who had caused him so much pain throughout the entirety of his existence.

"…"

_Grrr… curse you Kakarot. What did you do to me you soft-hearted fool?_

Bright green ki humming into life in the palm of his chosen hand, intense compression of destructive power occurring as its owner frowned in disinterest, Broly nearly growled his confusion out loud, _Damn! They should all be **dead** by now! What the fuck is wrong with me?!_

Feeling the attack dissipate steadily due to his slackening concentration in maintaining it, the man snarled softly before hurling it effortlessly across the huge alley that lay defenseless below him.

**Weeee!**

_Tch! Good thing that those little cretins escaped early… don't really want **another** headache to pile up._

**BOOOOM!**

The gigantic cloud of smoke expanded across the entire perimeter of the targeted area... dirt, rocks and debris flying up into the air before being vaporized in the aftermath of the explosion; mushroom-shaped cloud standing out against a fairly decimated background.

* * *

_(Sigh!) This is going to prove difficult but… _his, once merciless, eyes landed upon the man onto his left… fists remaining steady at his sides as he scowled at the sight..._ I guess I owe this... 'idiot' something of a favor now._

Running his fingers across the deep gash on his abdomen for a brief moment, he winced slightly… inwardly fuming all the while. _Besides, I gotta pay him back for this too… later on._

Shaking his head one final time, Broly mentally swore before scooping up the prone warrior into his huge arms, easily hoisting the latter onto his wide shoulder.

_Now, for the rest of the idiots. Tch, I'm going to regret this foolishness in the future, I can just feel it._

…

Blasting off towards the strongest of the flickering energy signals, the gigantic warrior raised an eyebrow in amusement before landing beside his intended target; lips still remaining in an eternal scowl; murderous grin being a thing of the distant past at that point.

_Great, him too huh?_

He was staring blankly at the beaten and battered 'Prince of all Saiyans'… the latter's armor sporting several dents and cracks, as if it was made out of dried clay.

_He'd better not whine too much… now, how many of them were there?_

Scanning the surrounding area, the impatient saiyan soon discovered the faint ki signatures of the other three fighters… one of them feeling especially intriguing to the former.

_Eh? Kakarot's… son? Why does he still have so much energy left?_

Placing the flame-haired man over his other shoulder, the burly saiyan flew over to the remaining three individuals… gaze haughty as he analyzed each and every one of them, almost scrutinizing them for some reason.

_Heh, they sure took a hard beating… good thing I wasn't being serious or… _His eyes fell upon the son of his biggest enemy, jaw clenched slightly as his brow furrowed.

_Hmph! What am **I** getting so worried for? He's just a snot-nosed brat._

Shaking his head free of all thought, Broly merely got back to his task… trying to ignore the unstable energy fluctuations originating from the child. _But I gotta admit, he's probably even stronger than his old man. By a fair amount too._

Finishing up with his task, the namekian and purple-haired youth also tucked underneath both of his strong arms, the stone-faced man blasted off in search of a spare space pod…

… hopefully one that **hadn't** been completely obliterated by him previously... like his father's huge star cruiser.

_There's got to atleast be a few still in working order,_ his eyes flickered from left to right, mind getting impatient as he growled, _Now where is that accursed compound?!_

It was no big surprise that his patience had begun to wear thin by then… what with him not quite being used to carrying 4 saiyans and a namek around for lengthy periods of time.

"!"

_Ah! There we are..._

Inside the hidden compound (that had been strategically located a few miles away from the original 'mother ship'; sole purpose being to come of use during an emergency evacuation), Broly finally landed with his cargo; sharp gaze glaring at the remaining number of 'Attack Balls' on offer.

_1… 4… 6, alright they'll have to do._

* * *

**A few short minutes later -**

Having strapped all of the unconscious warriors into their respective pods, the mentally exhausted saiyan sighed deeply… his physical form shrinking down to its original size as his power dropped dramatically... pupils returning as his hair turned raven once more.

_That should do it, couldn't have fit into the damn thing otherwise. Now then…_

Eyeing the other four pods carefully, he cricked his neck with a relieved grunt, getting into his own dusty one before strapping himself in.

_Buttons…more buttons… there! Coordinates set to… what was their **blasted** planet's name?_

Digging into the recesses of his psyche, Broly snapped his eyes open as he recalled the strange name of his enemy's home world.

_Hmm… how would you spell it now…_ his fingers furiously typed the word E-A-R-T-H into the tiny keyboard near to his knee, before clicking onto the 'Launch' button soon after.

He rapidly selected a similar setting for the remaining five space vehicles as well, sighing as the computer successfully began to feed the data into its complex database… carrying forward the command without argument as its system prepared the necessary procedures needed for lift-off.

"..." _(Sigh) Finally… Kakarot's measly ki wouldn't have kept me awake for very long anyway…_

Hearing the door to the pod steadily close, it was the last thing the drowsy man heard before darkness enveloped his mind completely…

… a welcome bout of sleep overtaking his senses as he rested his head against the reasonably comfortable seat's head-rest, frown surprisingly yet to disappear from his brow.

_Better get some shut eye… I get a feeling that I'll need it._

…

The sounds of six space pods, blasting off the surface of the desolate planet, could've been heard loud and clear all the way past the uninhabited world's atmosphere…

… the occupants within each of the former remaining in a state of suspended animation throughout; their modes of inter-space travel carrying them across nameless galaxies and star systems towards the chosen destination.

The sole difference in this scenario being…

… that this time they had an unexpected 'guest' accompanying them, all the way back to their home planet. Earth.

Whether this turn of events would bring forth sheer doom… or prove to be a game-changer for a certain 'major event', one that was about to occur sometime soon in the near future, remained to be seen.

* * *

**AN: Aaand done! Man, are my fingers exhausted! Wrote this whole thing in just about an hour and a half you see.**

**Anyways, will this unforeseen 'change' prove to be a profitable asset for the Z-Fighters? Or will Earth itself be doomed to be eradicated from history due to their unexpected fellow passenger?**

**Find out, next time… on TPC! **

**LMAO, wanted to do that too! X'D**

**Thnx for reading and please REVIEW! Your thoughts, suggestions and criticisms are welcome too!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter I: Differing states of concern

**Disclaimer: I do not own this UBER-awesome series created by Akira Toriyama-sensei.**

**AN: WHOA! Sweet feedback for the pilot chapter people! Never really expected to get 3 reviews so quick! XD**

**Ok, (*deep breath*) let's kick things off by taking a sneak peek into the current situation upon Planet Earth.  
**

* * *

**439 East District, Mount Paozu (Son Residence) -**

**Time: 1215 hours**

"..."

Half-heartedly stirring the bubbling contents within the large wok, heavy sigh escaping her lips every now and then; Chi-Chi glanced out of her kitchen's window… concerned thoughts struggling to hold onto their optimism as she did so.

_Goku… why'd you have to take **Gohan** with you too? This just isn't fair...  
_

Halting her present task and heading out into the small house's foyer, her apron discarded and apparently forgotten; hair tied up in its signature bun and eyes shut, the woman sat heavily upon one of her favorite chairs… elbows resting on her knees as her face remained covered by her palms; brief spell of sorrow overflowing across her frame.

_(Sigh!) Why does he always do this? I **told** him just how important yesterday's interview would've been for Gohan's academic future,_ it really was no surprise that her thoughts had turned sour right then; maternal instincts making her place the entire blame, in relation to her worrying, upon her irresponsible husband.

_But nooo… the big hero just **had** to take my poor baby out to 'Kami-knows-where' to fight some dangerous alien freak! And right in the middle of the day too!_

Grinding her teeth together, vein bulging threateningly upon her forehead as her frown deepened, the young mother eventually took a deep breath to calm her nerves down a notch…

… the latter happening right has her father entered the little home, his huge arms chock full with the day's groceries. _Oh father…_

"Hi Chi-Chi! I made it on time didn't I?"

Sneaking a peek at the simple clock adorning the wall onto his right, the giant of a man sighed softly in relief, _Phew! Made it in record time too, Hehe!_ heading on over to the kitchen before asking over his broad shoulder, "So, uh… Goku's not back yet is he honey?"

"…"

Not even bothering to hide the venom in her voice, the female crossed her arms and hmphed back in response, "Ha! As if that man would even **care** about whether we missed him or not! He's probably having the time of his life right about now!" _My poor boy would be getting hurt right now, as we speak! Darn that Goku..._

Closing his tiny eyes in understanding before grabbing a seat opposite his obviously agitated daughter, Ox-King placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder, wide smile on his face as he spoke in a cheerful voice.

"Now now Chi-Chi… don't forget, he'll always come back to you in the end right? I mean, even **Gohan** can't stay away from his mother's amazing cooking for long can he? Ha-ha!"

"…" _Hm._

Thinking over her kind-hearted father's words, annoyed frown relaxing slightly as her mood steadily improved, the wife of Goku finally gave in… her thoughts easing up around all of the stored up pessimism as she did so.

"(Sigh) Alright… if you say so dad," a smirk appeared on her lips then, making the big man back away in slight surprise; prior knowledge that his little princess could inflict some **serious** damage upon one and all when angered apparently coming to his rescue at that point.

_(Gulp!) I'd better stay quiet now..._

Getting onto her feet and holding up a fist of victory, she continued; tone being of the type when one would readily accept an intriguing challenge… head-on, "It's settled then. When those two get back, they'll be in for the surprise of a lifetime, hmm… hmm!

"...?"

Confused as to what his temperamental daughter was insinuating, the 'still seated' man scratched his head cautiously, wondering exactly what the woman was referring to. _Goku… you'd better not be too tired from your big fight son. I think you'll need __**all**__ the power that you can muster, once you get home. (Sigh)_

...

With her mind made up, the Son matriarch headed back to her kitchen, plans involving a lavish lunch for her, presumably hungry, boys being at the forefront of her thoughts.

_If they make it back before then, I might just allow them some dessert too. But only __**if**__ Gohan promises to make up for his lost study time… I won't stand for him missing out on even a day's worth. Not a chance!_

Things were reasonably calm in the household for now, or so it would seem… atleast **until** the other residents of said home would return from their inter-galactic trek.

* * *

**West City, WST 3338926 (Capsule Corporation) -**

**Time: 1215 hours**

Having put baby Trunks to sleep in his small crib, the blue-haired woman heaved a sigh of relief before exiting the former's bedroom; mind cluttered with concerns that were solely directed at the two men who meant the world to her.

_Well that's taken care of. Now… what's the status of that transmitter…_

Entering her lab, the heiress typed in the password to access her main computer, computed sounds of various tones and types bursting into life as she did so.

It took a few short seconds for said computer's database and subsequent radar (that was connected to the compact transmitter) to open; latter's tracking system coming online as well.

"..."_ Okay, there were no problems encountered by it after having entered the foreign planet's atmosphere… from what I can see._

Taking a deep breath, she hesitated for a mere second before clicking onto the 'Enter' key; elaborate keyboard and its contents capable of making even the topmost scientific minds proud due to their advanced circuitry and unparalleled efficiency.

_Trunks… I hope you didn't notice that little 'tag-along' buddy that I sent with you._

Scanning over the recent reports sent in by the minuscule device, that she had secretly placed upon her young son's jacket before he had left, the worried scientist bit her lower lip as the results appeared on the large computer screen.

_Hmm, everything seemed stable until a certain point… but after that…_

Bulma promptly hung her head in defeat, eyes closed as her jaw clenched, imagining the worst for her son from the future; cold fact that said transmitter lacked a camera-based function coming back to haunt her.

_No! I can't think like that! Maybe it fell off... yeah. That'd explain why it suddenly vanished into thin air… that __**has**__ to be it. _

It was blatantly obvious that she was in two different mindsets right then, optimistic thoughts somehow managing to hold on despite the glaring evidence that something… she certainly did not know what... had definitely gone wrong with their, the Z-fighters, unforeseen expedition.

Sighing once more before shutting the main power to the large computer off, Bulma exited her brilliant lab and decided to prepare a much-needed cup of coffee for herself.

...

It didn't take long for the female to find troubled self inside the cozy kitchen... one of the few places in the entire building where her chirpy mother would be easiest to locate.

_I __**really**__ need to stop over-thinking things sometimes. _

Her small hand reached over to grab a clean cup from the pile of sparkling and spotless dishes, _(Sigh!) What would Trunks think if he saw me worrying my butt off like this? He's already had to deal with __**that**__ version of me in his timeline already anyway… _

Trying her level best to forget about the minor mishap that had (possibly) occurred to the fragile device due a mere, harmless reason, the woman crashed down onto her favorite love-seat with a pitiful groan…

... mind begrudgingly relaxing as one final thought entered her worried psyche.

"…" _Vegeta… Trunks… please be okay... for me.  
_

* * *

**Meanwhile, in some obscure area near to a desolate wasteland -**

He was… confused.

For the first time in his entire existence upon this pitiful waste of a planet he was unsure about something.

Something... was certainly amiss.

Not that it was worrying him, in any way, but… 'beggars have never been choosers' is what he had always believed... atleast in theory.

_Strange,_ his advanced cybernetic mind began; memory bank replaying all of what had occurred a few days back.

From his inevitable achievement of his Perfect Form; subsequent defeat of the prideful saiyan fool and his bothersome son becoming child's play after the former event, all the way to his brief verbal encounter with the all-powerful Son Goku.

_It seems that those few who still thought that they could stand up to me have left the planet recently.  
_

It certainly **was** odd that his sensors had failed to pick up on the ki signatures of said Z-fighters for the entire duration of the day previous.

Arms crossed across his chest as a gentle breeze picked up, the bio-android drummed his forefinger against his bicep… mild concern floating up along his system as his eyes narrowed.

_It wouldn't make sense for Goku to suddenly leave like that… he did __**promise**__ me an amazing fight after all. _

…

The silence around him was abruptly interrupted by a series of soft chuckles that resonated across the empty valley.

_Besides, he isn't that much of a coward to simply leave this planet for me to destroy… that would be completely out of character for a foolishly brave soul such as him, hm-hm-hm._

Cell's smirk widened whilst his eyes flashed dangerously, innate confidence rising upto monstrous levels as he at last came to a satisfactory conclusion, _No, he just wouldn't leave without a proper fight… of that I'm certain._

As he scanned the vast area around his isolated form, the terrifying creature began to aim his thoughts onto the other warriors belonging to the little blue planet.

_Hmph, the only one I should even __**be**__ concerned about is that fool Vegeta. No doubt he is livid after that pathetic excuse for a fight that he put up against me… the arrogant monkey._

Grinning evilly as scenes belonging to the not so distant past flashed across his sharp mind, Cell closed his eyes as if in a meditative state. _No matter, I'll take good care of him soon enough... and then his naïve and meddlesome brat._

The evil android was absolutely confident in his imminent victory over the defenders of the poor excuse for a habitable planet, members of its so-called 'sapient species' being of no concern whatsoever to a **far** superior being such as himself.

_Only seven more days to go… and things will **really** begin to get interesting, Hehehe…_

…

The lone figure standing at the center of the empty ring was one that would, according to him atleast, soon be the 'single most feared' thing in all of the known and unknown cosmos.

In the likeness of being an ultimate pinnacle of evolution.

An absolutely unsurpassed killing machine, created solely to destroy and **then** rule… all for the sake of pure, sadistic entertainment.

The utterly invincible bio-synthetic masterpiece.

Cell.

* * *

**The Lookout -  
**

"...!"

Sweat poured down the side of his tense forehead as he keenly observed the ruthless monstrosity… who was situated hundreds of miles below where he himself stood. _This is bad… this is very, **very** bad._

Frowning in deep thought as his grip upon his cane tightened, Dende breathed deeply before turning his gaze away from the unpleasant sight. _Where have they all gone? If they don't come up with a sound strategy soon… I-I'm afraid…_

"…"

He couldn't do it.

He simply couldn't just 'give up' at that point. It would without doubt prove to be quite unfitting of him, being the ever-responsible 'Guardian of the Earth' and all.

Readily reminded of the sinister intentions that he had just recently felt resonating from the soul of the ultimate android, the young namek thought further, _Goku… you were so confident with your decision. Piccolo was too… but… just what **is** your big plan?_

The guardian knew that the answer was one that would be near impossible for him to decipher all by himself; latter fact causing him to mentally groan in defeat as he hung his head low.

When… out of the blue...

"!"

His senses tingling **(AN: LOL! Sorry Spidey!)**, the, now alert, namekian whipped his head towards his left, his eyes scanning the clear blue sky; lips soon turning upwards into a smile at his discovery.

_I-It's Goku! And… Gohan and the others are with him too!_

Grinning outright, in understandable relief, he soon sensed something else as well.

Something... dark… and powerful.

"…?!" _W-What in the-? Who is that?! _

Beads of cold sweat returning to haunt his temple, Dende gulped down the saliva that had built up in his throat… jaw clenched slightly as his mind began to panic, _Whatever that is… it's **not** friendly._

Keeping note of how his friend's ki signatures were still a fair distance away, the little namek sighed heavily before heading back to his previous perch; lips forming an uncomfortable grimace as his gaze remained pensive.

_First it's Cell's enormous power and ruthless plans… and then it's this unfamiliar ki. I can only hope that the Earth survives all of this._

Feeling righteous annoyance at his helplessness, the green-skinned healer sighed before whispering a soft prayer…

_Goku… Gohan… Piccolo, please come as fast as you can. The Earth, it's been left unguarded for too long already... it needs you all here.  
_

* * *

**Back at Capsule Corp -**

Working tirelessly at his latest designs, the very same ones inspired from the blueprints belonging to Android 16, Dr. Brief scratched his chin in deep thought… his cigarette nearly falling past his lips; sigh escaping him soon after.

_That Dr. Gero… he truly was a genius indeed. His in-depth knowledge of cybernetic science is almost off the charts._

"Meeoow!"

"...!" _Oh, sorry little one._

Petting the tiny cat gently before getting back to his work, the president of Capsule Corporation chuckled; trying to console the tiny creature, "There now Scratch, I'm nearly done, see?"

He thumbed the screen as the black-colored feline merely purred in response.

"Ah well… I never expected for you to react any differently anyway, Ha-ha!"

**"Beep! Beep!"**

"!"

The abrupt sound made the elderly scientist nearly fall off of his rotating chair. _Merciful heavens!_

**- "Attention doctor, an incoming object has been detected. An incoming object has been detected" -  
**

"…?" _What in the world?_

The computerized voice belonged to none other than his personal assistant; latter being a **key** part of his computer's mainframe structure, voice function having been calibrated and invented by the aged genius himself... several years ago.

"Hm? O-Oh of course, (Ahem!) what seems to be the matter Lucille?" **(AN: Don't judge me folks!) **

_It seems that there's been a disturbance of sorts in the upper atmosphere of the planet. Not that it's the first time **that's** happened,_ he inwardly commented, flustered state long forgotten as he got down to his work once more.

**- "The object has been picked by CC satellite 137 right above West City doctor. It is unidentified and does not seem to belong to any of the recent models built by you or Miss Bulma" -  
**

"…" _Eh? Right __**above**__ the city?_

Crossing his arms whilst entering into a state of deep thought, the Brief patriarch took his time to come up with an adequate response.

"Interesting indeed," puffing out the smoke from his cigarette, he repeated his assistant's message; eyes fixated upon the computer screen in question, "A foreign body heading towards the Earth? An unidentified ship not belonging to any of the ones in our production line?"

**- "That is correct doctor" -** the robotic voice replied, tone monotonous and free of any hesitancy… sounds akin to beeps working in a 'synchronized' harmony.

Scratching his chin before typing in a few quick-fire commands, fingers working in a furious blaze across the keyboard… courtesy of some **decades** worth of practice, the elderly inventor frowned lightly as a vast multitude of camera angles popped up onto the giant screen.

"…!" _I see… it seems that my intuition was correct._

Smiling up at the beautiful machine, he chuckled, "Well, it does not seem to be anything to worry about Lucille my dear… it's merely a bunch of our friends returning home!"

Facing his wondrous machine completely, the man continued on in a cheery voice, "I would like for you to prepare a landing pad for our guests Lucille. Kindly make sure that it's out by the lawn though, would be disastrous if they were to crush Bunny's wonderful flowerbeds."

**- "As you wish doctor" -**

A few short seconds later the sounds of a landing pad, its area being as wide as basketball court, being prepared out on the big lawn of the Briefs could be heard resonating around the immediate premises... thankfully not causing any undesirable seismic activity.

**- "Landing pad has been placed upon your chosen position doctor. Any further instructions?" -  
**

"…"

Glancing at one of the many camera views opened up upon his computer screen, Dr. Brief smiled in approval, "No, that will be all for now. Good work Lucille."

Turning the giant machine off, Scratch meowing happily on his shoulder as he chuckled heartily in reply, the good-natured genius headed out to greet his soon-to-arrive guests. _Hmm, they were gone for a whole day. I do hope that their journey bore fruit._

Noticing his daughter asleep in her room, Trunks in her arms as their even breaths flew in tandem, the man let loose a soft smile of contentment at the scene._ Well, all other things aside, at the very least those two seem to be getting their proper rest._

Clearing his head with a brief shake, he walked further down the hall before calling out for his eccentric wife.

"Bunny?! Would you come out into the lawn later on dear?"

...

Heading down the staircase, one arm placed around the railing, Dr. Brief adopted a pleasant demeanor before opening his home's front door…

… bright sunshine greeting his presence with the clear blue sky present above him; sounds of birds chirping and the populace going about their daily business enriching his old ears.

_(Sigh) Today might just turn out to be a good day after all… it really would be 'more than welcome' at this stage._

The good doctor hoped that his saying would hold true… since his heart was telling him that the former would soon prove to be a reality.

* * *

**AN: Yosh! That's the 1st chapter done and dealt with good peeps…**

**Please let me know your thoughts and opinions about this one as well, your reviews and criticisms are always welcome! ;D**

**Next time, what is this mysterious object that has infiltrated Earth's atmosphere? How long will it take for Goku and the gang to reach their home world? Is a passport even required at this point? LMAO!**

**Until then -**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter II: The Warriors Return

**Disclaimer: 'Dragon Ball' is not a property over which I claim any sort of ownership whatsoever... it is solely the property of Akira Toriyama.**

**AN: A BIG THANKS to all of the reviewers! XD **

**Now then, things will definitely kick off at a faster rate with this chapter… so kindly bear with me for now guys.**

**YOSH!**

* * *

**Somewhere by a rocky wasteland, several miles outside of West City's borders -**

**Time: 1300 hours**

Six space pods crashed heavily against the surface of the blue planet... landing a fair distance away from one another; cloud of dust forming around each one in turn before steadily settling into harmless dust once more.

…

_Ugh, should've braced myself for the impact,_ a large man grunted from within the first of the ships in mild irritation, foot kicking the circular door right off of its hinges as he grabbed onto the sides of the open ball to haul himself out…

… and into the fresh air.

Sucking in a deep breath, he glanced around towards the remaining ships in question… half expecting the fighters to show themselves in a manner similar to his. _Hmph, don't tell me that they're too weak to even break through something like **that**..._

"…" _Hm?_

Broly did not, thankfully, have to wait long for the Z Fighters to appear; several of the doors opening steadily as members of the small group stumbled out and into the familiar surroundings. _About time._

Grabbing his aching head as a soft frown adorned his brow, the first thing that a disoriented Goku noticed was the bright and glaring light belonging to his home planet's sun. _A-Are we-? But… how?_

Looking to his left and right, he observed how his son, Piccolo and the other two members of his kin appeared from within their own pods, apparently having just woken up from their slumber.

_Well, atleast we're all together…_ an uneasy smile framed his lips as he noticed his son's questioning gaze fall upon him.

"Dad? Wh-What are we doing on Earth?! What about-?"

Eyes widening as a scowl formed on his young face, Gohan caught sight of the larger man standing several feet onto their left, _So… he's still alive? But that means..._

Shocked out of his wits as he noticed the other fighters come to from the corner of his right eye, the boy met his father's focused gaze in 'more-than-visible' hurry. "D-Dad! Didn't you kill him on that planet? How is he here then? With us?!"

"…"

Seemingly ignoring the worried youngster's query, the kind-hearted saiyan looked over at his foe, fists clenched at his sides as a precautionary measure... just in case.

_I wonder… did he really-?_

"HAAAA!"

"!" _What?_

A bright yellow ball of energy landed upon the spot where Broly had once stood, cloud of dust forming soon after as only a small crater was left in the former's wake.

"TRUNKS! Why'd you do that?"

"…?"

Utterly confused at the tone used by the older saiyan, the lavender-haired youth held his fists at his sides; eyes hard as he responded, "What do you mean Goku? We have to get **rid** of him at all costs! It'll be far too dangerous if he heads over to someplace that's populated!"

It was quite clear that the half-saiyan from the future was agitated, blonde hair flowing freely in the wind as his emerald pupils scanned the area around them for signs of the legendary saiyan. _He definitely dodged that one. But then... where'd he disappear to all of a sudden?_

Feeling utterly stupid for the first time in a long time, Goku nearly slapped a hand to his forehead as realization dawned upon him. _Oh crap! I didn't tell any of them about that yet!_

"Trunks listen to me… things have changed. When-"

**BLAAAAM!**

He was interrupted once again as an equally powerful beam was fired over towards a group of rocks; former's user being none other than his 'Super Namek' friend.

"No Piccolo! Don't fire at him! He was the one who-"

Not listening to the desperate saiyan's pleas, said warrior dashed off after the emerging monstrosity, fist pulled back as he approached the unfazed man using his blinding speed.

"Rraaah!"

His outstretched fist was easily caught by the unimpressed saiyan; scowl on his face as he responded in kind by flinging the namekian onto his right… base form proving superior to the, obviously yet to recover, fighter's present state.

_Feh, and they keep coming back for more like flies,_ he inwardly commented as his opponent crashed heavily into a nearby cliff-face... head first.

* * *

"Piccolo!"

Grinding his teeth, and completely forgetting about Goku's prior statement, Trunks flew at top speed towards the hovering saiyan, arms forming various signs before being thrust in front of him; fingers forming a diamond-like shape.

"Let's see how you like this one! BURNING ATTACK!"

"…" _Great…_

Beginning to feel terribly bored with the useless attacks aimed towards him, Broly merely pulled his left arm back… waiting patiently for the furious ball of crackling ki to get within his attack range.

_They make this so easy sometimes._

Feeling his sadistic side re-emerge, he immediately pushed the natural surge of blood-lust down to where it belonged, _Grrr, can't have any of that now..._

Gohan remained unmoving from his spot, easily recognizing the look that had fallen across his father's eyes then… having seen it quite a few times before. _Dad… just what are you thinking?_

Shutting his eyes, innate confusion proving to be almost impossible for him to handle, the young warrior stayed his ground… even though his heart was begging for him to fly out there and assist his master and friend.

…

_Heh, here we are…!_

Smacking the giant sphere onto his left with remarkable ease, hair flickering gold for a brief second as he did so, Broly felt his power begin to grow yet chose to keep it contained… atleast for the time being.

_Does that fool expect me to play around forever?_

Glaring towards his most hated enemy, he kept his dark eyes connected with the man… fighting off the urge to fire off one of his own blasts over at him. _That'll have to come later. Right now though…_

Dodging the oncoming punch by the recovered namek, he grunted lightly as punch after punch missed him… making him weave in the most basic of motions as heavy kicks were added into the ferocious flurry of hits.

_This is getting ridiculous. Did I really 'transform' against these weak idiots?!_

Mind processing the thought for a passing moment, the long-haired male did not notice the arrival of the younger saiyan near to his unguarded rear.

"…?!" _What?! Damn!_

* * *

Landing a solid hit at last, Trunks grinned victoriously as he felt flesh envelope his powerful knuckles; target's pained grunt making him follow up with a roundhouse kick to the former's temple... his partner having halted his barrage of hits 'just before' he had intervened.

"Good work Trunks, now we must attack him at once," Piccolo suggested, bringing both of his hands together in front of his hunched body; golden sparks forming around the conjoined area as he bared his fangs menacingly... sweat forming on his brow.

Nodding in compliance, the ascended saiyan glared down at the falling man, his own hands raised above his head as he prepared to fire off one of his new attacks… the yellow lightning crackling from his right side making him glance over briefly at his senior partner.

_Wow, Piccolo's got a ton of power there… I wonder if he used something like that against Cell?_

"…" _Rrrr...!_

Shocked out of his wits at the unexpected counterattack, Broly gritted his teeth before righted himself in mid-air… onyx eyes flashing emerald for a second as he contemplated his next move.

_Shit, looks like they're **really** serious this time._

Whipping his head over to left, expression unchanged, he mentally growled in annoyance, _What the fuck are you doing just **standing** there Kakarot?!_

"!"

Feeling a great power emanating from the man in question, he widened his eyes… the devastating attack meant for him temporarily forgotten. _What? Don't tell me he plans to-? After all of that he **still** decides to come after me?!_

Sighing to let out his mental frustration, Broly looked up at the two unstable auras of his stationary opponents, their intentions clear as they gazed down upon their prey with unfazed conviction.

_What am I even doing?! MOVE!_

**CHWING! (AN: *Sigh!* I know the sound effect for 'Instant Transmission' kinda sucks!)**

"…?"

Lowering his raised arms as the silhouette of the shorter saiyan became visible to his vision, the man stammered out; surprise genuine throughout, "K-Kakarot? What-?"

* * *

"…"

Meeting the widened eyes of both of his teammates, Goku smirked confidently before raising a sole arm up towards them... as if telling them to stand down. "Guys, please relax and just listen to me for a sec."

"...?" _What the-?_

Left speechless after witnessing the man standing up for their enemy, both Piccolo and Trunks felt their concentration upon their respective attacks falter… thus making the formed energy dissipate into nothingness.

_What is he thinking?_ the green-skinned warrior wondered, curiosity peaked by the recent, unexpected, development.

"What do you mean Goku?" Trunks questioned, still in his transformed state as he landed back onto solid earth; his one-time partner following suit as the remaining members of their group flew over to their location.

Grinning sheepishly before feeling a stern gaze fall upon him from behind, Goku faced a highly pissed-off Vegeta with a raised eyebrow, "Vegeta?"

His arms crossed across his chest as he kept the other full-blooded saiyan within his sights, just in case the latter attacked without invitation, the prince at last spoke, "Just what do you think that you are playing at?! Explain. **Now**!"

Scratching the back of his head as he caught onto the questioning looks of his other two friends and silent son, earth's greatest hero merely chuckled. _I guess that I owe them all an answer._

"Uh well… hehe, I kinda gave Broly a second chance back at the planet we were fighting on."

"…"

"…!" _Dad?_

"…?" _B-But why?!_

"…" _I just can't **believe** you sometimes Goku..._

Deciding to remain quiet and let the soft-hearted fool do all the talking for him, Broly merely crossed his arms in a similar fashion to his 'prince' before turning his back to all of the gathered company, gaze staring out into the vast expanse surrounding them all as his mane of hair flew in sync with the gentle breeze.

_He'd better hurry this up… I'm **seriously** getting pissed off at that midget's attitude._

…

* * *

**A few minutes later, after a nervous Goku had 'somehow' explained all that had occurred on New Planet Vegeta, before he had lost complete consciousness -**

In sheer disbelief at the man standing before him, Vegeta growled out his apparent disapproval. "So let me get this straight Kakarot. You couldn't find it in you to finish off **this** piece of garbage?!"

It was evident that he wasn't holding anything back from his end, atleast verbally.

Holding in his irritated snarl at the terms used to describe him, Broly somehow kept his mouth shut… not really wanting to make the situation any more difficult than it already was. _Bastard._

Scratching his cheek with a finger, Goku only chuckled softly in response… thus, successfully infuriating the flame-haired prince further.

_How **dare** he laugh at me! Doesn't the clown realize how grave the situation is?!_

"Kakarot have you finally lost your-!"

"Vegeta."

Halting his tongue as his eyes widened in surprise, not so much at what the lower-class saiyan had to say rather than **him** being interrupted, Vegeta 'hmphed' in reply and adopted his signature frown.

Turning towards his three other associates, Goku decided to use a mellow tone in order to make them understand just how serious he really was. _Here goes…_

"Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks…"

The trio in question were 'all ears' for the smiling man at that point.

"… I know what all of you are thinking right now and I can't say that I blame you for doing so," he adopted a confident look in his eye before continuing, "But please understand, I only tried to do what was right at that point."

"…" _Hm._

"Dad… I…"

"But Goku…"

Butting in with his usual flair, Vegeta nearly barked at the taller man, "Now **you** listen here clown! Do you honestly believe that I'll allow yet **another** being to surpass me in power?! Well..."

Turning towards the other saiyan, who still had his back turned to them all he growled with unbridled hate in his tone, "… THINK AGAIN!"

Thrusting his palm out, spherical attack at the ready to fire, he was understandably shocked to find an all-too-familiar hand keeping a firm grip upon his extended wrist. _What?!_

* * *

Staring at his rival right in the eye, Goku responded sternly, "I'm sorry Vegeta. But I cannot allow you to do this… atleast, not today."

The hesitancy in his tone was easily picked up by two people who had yet to speak until then.

_Heh, he still doesn't think he can trust me huh?_

_He still doesn't trust him… atleast, not completely._

"…" _Stupid, low-class fool._

Pulling his arm back roughly, Vegeta merely glared back at the younger man before taking off… white trail present behind his flight path telling the entire story in relation to his super saiyan speed.

_Idiot… he'll regret his decision sooner rather than later. And I won't **be** there to help his sorry ass when he does._

…

Letting out a relieved sigh, Goku turned back to the others with a small grin, hand rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke, "Sooo uh… what about you guys?"

Glancing towards the silent man onto his left, eyes still holding great levels of suspicion within, Trunks replied, "Well, I… I still think this is a very bad idea Goku." _We already have Cell to worry about... and now **him** too?!_

Pouting slightly in response, the man-child placed both of his fists upon his hips, "Aww, why not? It couldn't turn out **that** bad could it?"

Meeting his unsure son's gaze, he continued in a chirpy tone, "What 'bout you Gohan?" before glancing towards his namekian ex-rival, "Piccolo?"

Feeling in two 'very different' mindsets at that moment, Gohan sighed softly before deciding to trust his father's judgment… like he had always done up until that point. "Okay dad, if you think it's alright, then…"

"Yeah! Now that's what I'm talkin' about, Hehe!" _Have faith son. I'm only doing this for you._

Crossing his arms and closing his eyes, akin to how he always did when trying to think with a clear mind, the tall namekian replied in an even tone, "If you think it's meant to help us against Cell…"

The former's student nearly gasped out his surprise, not having even considered **that** as being a legitimate reason for his father's strange behavior. _Wh-What? Dad wanted to go **that** far ahead with this?_

"… then I can't say that it's a bad idea at all."

Simply smiling broadly at his ally's positive response, Goku finally turned towards the man of the hour; eyes nearly twinkling as he considered his next words properly. _Phew! That takes care of that… good._

"…"

Feeling the shorter man's attention placed upon him, an annoyingly childish aura emanating from the former, Broly couldn't help but sigh in mild irritation; mind trying its level best to not let his dislike for the saiyan show upon his features.

_Now's not the time for any of that but… grrr, he **really** gets on my nerves sometimes!_

"Uh Goku…?" a meek voice interrupted the proceedings.

"Hm?" the spiky-haired fighter turned towards his younger comrade, "What is it Trunks?"

Pointing calmly towards three tiny specks in the sky, the purple-haired youth stated the obvious, "We've... got company."

* * *

**Time: 1315 hours**

We had been flying for a good while now... and I was **already **beginning to lose my patience with my old pal.

Not that he would actually care about it to be honest. I merely hoped that **Tien** wouldn't decide to shut him up at that point... with his usual methods.

_(Sigh!) Why in the world did I have to go and bring someone like **him** along?_

"Hey Krillin, are we there yet bro?"

Yes, Yamcha was the one grating my nerves for the 20th time since we had left Capsule Corp… his trademark 'wise guy' personality making me inwardly sigh every now and then.

"No… I still can't sense 'em."

Looking over to my right, I noticed the tense expression upon my other companion's face, _Wonder what he's thinking about?_

"Tien? What's up?"

"...!"

Snapped out of his contemplative state, the triclops merely smiled uneasily at the ex-monk; shirtless form protected efficiently against the air blowing past them all as they flew at top speed... courtesy of his proficient ki control.

"Oh uh.. it's... nothing, probably just my imagination."

Adopting a confused look, the shorter human readily followed up on his query, "Wha-? Whatcha talkin' about man?" _I really wish he would ease up a bit sometimes._

Staring straight ahead, the former Crane school student spoke in a serious tone, "I sensed a great power up ahead for a while, but… it vanished as soon as some other ki collided with it." _Are there more than two? Then… did they return already?_

Finding it hard to come up with an adequate response to the stoic man's observation, Krillin simply shrugged and flew on, both arms stretched ahead of his body as was his preference during flight.

…

"…!" _There!_

"Hey! I found 'em you guys!"

Snapping to attention at the bald man's yell, Tien and Yamcha sped up as the former raced off at top speed towards the assembled group of fighters.

* * *

"…?" _Hm?_

Looking up at the three men that were hovering above them, Goku grinned wide in greeting before waving them over, other hand resting upon his hip as his expression remained pleasant throughout.

"Hi guys! How'd you find out we were all the way out here?"

Landing gracefully beside the cheerful man, the trio merely chuckled at his easy-going nature, choosing to not reply to his innocent question then.

_That Goku, even being all that beat up, he's still got his head intact, Ha-ha!_

"Uh… whose that guy Goku?" Tien suddenly asked, finger raised as he pointed in the direction of the long-haired male.

"Eh?"

Krillin looked first at his taller friend before moving his curious gaze over to the silent saiyan… who was standing mere feet away from where they themselves stood.

"B-B-BROLY?! Wh-What's **he** doing here Goku?! I thought you f-finished him off or something!"

In a state of pure shock (and understandable fear), his entire frame shivering uncontrollably, the short man remained ignorant to the confused looks that were directed his way… both pairs of eyes belonging to his human comrades.

"Huh? What's up with **you** man? Whatcha acting all scared for?" Yamcha wondered, frowning before glancing over at the still silent saiyan…

… before his natural antics seeped to the surface. Again.

"Hey, he's got Gohan's old hairdo! Hehe, someone's a copycat huh?"

It was obvious that the scar-faced ex-bandit had yet to apply his 'skills' to the test… as his other partner was doing at that moment.

* * *

"...?"

Tien had been completely taken aback by Krillin's fearful reaction to the stranger standing in front of them. _What's so threatening about that guy? I've only seen Krillin act that way in front of those two Androids before._

Glaring slightly at the tall, raven-haired male, he tried to calculate the latter's level of ki…

… soon finding all three of his eyes widen in shock at his discovery.

_Wh-What?! That's **impossible**! Such… power…_

"Goku! Who **is** this guy?" he immediately blurted out, prior composure completely blown away by the strange man's enormous power. _He **can't** be that strong… how?_

Looking first at his three-eyed friend and then at their 'guest', Goku rubbed the back of his head before beginning the introductions; remaining two saiyans waiting patiently by his side as he spoke, "Oh! Hehe, sorry about that."

He promptly raised an easy hand to emphasize the taller male's presence, latter standing onto his far right with a scowl on his face, "This is Broly. He's… um, he's the guy we fought with recently."

"…"

"…!" _Th-They actually fought a guy like this?_

"Whoa, far out Goku. So, you beat him black and blue too huh?"

Whipping his head towards the oblivious man onto his left, Tien nearly rasped out, "Yamcha! He's far stronger than **all** of us combined!"

"…" _Huh? _

The human fighter was surprised and, frankly, taken aback by the normally calm man's outburst.

"What's with **you** Tien? Why're you-?"

Suddenly realizing the sheer gravity of the situation, he immediately looked over at the male in question; eyes narrowing as he tried to properly decipher his ki, "You serious? I... don't believe it…"

The bald man merely nodded gravely; bead of sweat steadily trickling down the side of his temple as his other compatriot remained unmoving from his frozen position. _Just what did they face out there?_

* * *

Growing extremely impatient and agitated at the way things were progressing… at a snails pace if he were to be honest about it, Broly nearly growled out his thoughts, frown deepening dangerously.

"Hey Kakarot! Do you expect me to stand here all day while those idiots try to figure me out from head to toe?!" _Why didn't I just **kill** these maggots when I had the chance? Hmph!_

Grinning sheepishly at the taller saiyan's mood, _Hehe, he kinda reminds me of Vegeta,_ Goku nodded slightly before facing his dumbfounded friends…

… swift explanation, about all that had occurred on New Planet Vegeta, being stated by him in due haste.

_Hope they take this well…_

* * *

**Time: 1320 hours**

As they flew off to Capsule Corp, the group of warriors found an odd awkwardness seep through their midst.

Not quite being used to having someone **other** than Goku be the strongest out of them all… atleast not by such a great extent.

Gulping down his nervousness quickly, the silent saiyan's pissed off mood (that emanated off of his frame in 'waves') making fearful thoughts take form within his mind, Krillin decided to tell the other four fighters about all that had occurred on Earth whilst they were still in space.

"So uh… we gathered the dragon balls and asked Shenron to restore those little guy's planet."

Goku nodded in approval, bright smile on his face as his son adorned a similar expression upon his own, having grown a bit close to one of said creatures during their short time on New Planet Vegeta.

"Good job Krillin! I was beginning to worry about them for a while too."

Chuckling back nervously, the bald monk responded in a lighter tone of voice, "Hehehe! Thanks Goku."

Looking ahead once more as the lavender-haired youth gave him a thumbs up as well, he continued, "Well, then we used the 'second one' to move them all over there. Neat huh?"

Seemingly proud of his achievement, the short fighter grinned wide at his lifelong friend. _Yeah, that's what **I'm** talkin' about._

Smiling in relief, Goku felt a sense of innate joy emanate within his chest, _I guess, I was worried for nothing then._

...

Gohan saw his opportunity to speak at last.

"Say Krillin, what **was** their planet called anyway?" _I forgot to ask them back then._

Scratching his head as he searched the recesses of his 'highly reliable' memory **(AN: I kid!)**, the human replied thoughtfully, "Hm, lessee here… they called themselves as Shamoians so… yeah! It was named 'Planet Shamo' or something… I think."

...

A sweat-drop appeared on the heads of Goku, Gohan and Trunks almost instantaneously then.

"Huh? What're you guys staring at?" Krillin wondered; timid nature making him put up his mental guard.

Chuckling at the look on the uneasy man's face, Gohan merely grinned, albeit good-naturedly, "Nothing, Hehe! I just didn't think that you'd remember such a complex name for so long!"

"!"

Glaring at the young half-saiyan, cheeks flushed pink as the entirety of the gathered company (minus their sulking guest) laughed their asses off at his expense, Krillin 'hmphed' in annoyance.

"Well thanks a **lot**!" _Acting like he's so big and smart *mumble* *mumble*…_

…

Soon coming across the 'all-too-familiar' sight of the dome-shaped building, the wild-haired saiyan smiled; eyes nearly gleaming in joy, _Ah! We're here…_

"Hey!"

Grinning as he saw the silhouette of an excited Bulma; latter standing on her lawn with Baby Trunks safely perched in her arms, Goku waved her way before landing onto the grassy surface... the others following suit without question.

"Bulma! Trunks! How are ya?"

* * *

**AN: Phew! There ya go… that's the 2nd chapter all done and finished.**

**Please read and review this one and let me know your suggestions, criticisms… anything at all! Kay?  
**

**Next time good peeps!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter III: Understanding the situation

**Disclaimer: I do not own this AMAZING manga/anime series… period.**

**AN: Another day and another update!**

**Now things will surely go at an even pace for sure, so if you have any ideas to offer… kindly do so.**

**Bon Appetit!**

* * *

**Capsule Corp -**

**Time: 1330 hours**

"Guys! You're back!" the bluenette exclaimed, face beaming as her baby son giggled within her hold.

Grinning back at the excited woman, the Son boys simultaneously rubbed the back of their heads; rest of their friends chuckling in tandem from a few feet behind them.

"Hehehe! Yup, we're back alright."

Goku glanced back over his shoulder at their guest, eyes nearly twinkling as he recalled just how powerful the latter was… as images of their previous battle flashed across his excited psyche. _This will be a whole lotta fun._

"…?"

Tilting her head onto one side as she noticed the tall male standing behind the suddenly tense group; human fighters sporting the most pensive looks of all, Bulma approached the raven-haired individual, mind curious as she found several similarities in the facial structure of the latter and her old friend. _His looks, they're so much like Goku's and yet... not the same._

"H-Hello," she awkwardly began, feeling intimidated in front of the silent man for some strange reason… as if an all powerful aura of dominance was emanating off of his very frame; deep onyx eyes being as dark as a black hole of sorts.

"I'm Bulma… and this here…" her mood eased up considerably as she held up her blue-eyed bundle of joy for him to see; rest of the gathered company staring at her as if she had lost her mind, "… is Trunks, my son."

"…"

Narrowing his dark eyes dangerously, patience almost at the brink of being snapped into two, Broly grunted out his acknowledgment and crossed his big arms across his naked chest… gaze moving away from the woman and her curious child. _Feh… stupid, ignorant creature._

"Goo… gaa… gaa."

"!" _What?_

Shocked out of his wits as the baby's chubby hand pulled at his long mane of hair, the saiyan snarled back through gritted teeth… effectively making the frightened child release his black locks. _That'll teach you… hmph._

Frowning at the man's unpleasant attitude, the heiress was just about to give him a piece of her mind before…

"Oh! Ha-ha! This here's Broly… we uh, met him out in space Bulma!"

The forced enthusiasm in his voice was clear as day; son and best friend sweat-dropping in unison as the former flailed his hands about, obviously trying to ease up the tension-filled atmosphere between the two individuals.

_Gosh dad… you could've just dragged him inside and gotten it over with,_ Gohan shook his head, inwardly knowing somehow that whatever his father's plan was, it was going to prove quite 'taxing' upon them all.

_Poor Goku… never seen him **this** desperate before,_ the bald fighter glanced at his other comrades, noting the exasperated looks adorning their shocked faces.

* * *

Hushing her crying son down a notch, the miffed female sighed and responded to the wild-haired male, "Huh! Well I hope you're planning on teaching him some manners Goku… he'd better **not** be scaring Trunks from now on."

Giving her a typical 'Son grin' as a sign of his reassurance, the still chuckling male met the taller saiyan's cold gaze; eyes exuding confidence yet being friendly as he spoke, "Well, you comin' in or what?"

"Hn."

Choosing to simply answer the cheerful man and prevent any further bouts of unwanted headaches, Broly stepped through the threshold of the front door…

… before coming across the living enigma herself.

A certain... Bunny Brief.

"Ooh my! We have a guest!" the blonde woman chirped, eyes shut yet excitement almost rolling off of her in waves.

_Wha-?_

Before he could even react to the strange female's attitude, the confused man found himself dragged by the hand and over to the lounge; several treats of varying shapes and sizes being placed in front of him as he sat uncomfortably upon the family's love-seat.

"Wh-What are you-mmf!"

Seemingly ignoring his protests, the ever-hospitable woman 'gently' urged him on to taste more of her delicacies.

"Oh, don't be shy! Eat at much as you like, hmm… hmm!"

The many visits of Goku (and sometimes Gohan) to her home had effectively prepared her beforehand it seemed… or atleast, that's what the rest of the dumbfounded warriors could gather during that moment.

_W-Wowee… if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Bulma's **mother** managed to be the one to defeat him!_ Krillin nervously swallowed the lump in his throat, praying that the, obviously annoyed, man wouldn't simply flip out and decide to attack them all then. _Can't be too careful though, Hehe…_

Not really used to being forced to do things without his consent, his father's mind-control device excluded, the mentally tired saiyan growled out loud…

... mind not being amused at all, courtesy of the self-proclaimed 'hostess' treating him like some helpless child. _Stupid earth woman… I'd rather blast them all right now!_

Calming his bubbling rage down, with considerable effort from his end, he sighed deeply and got up from his perch, frame **towering** over the surprised woman as her hand covered her mouth; face adopting an expression of confusion.

"Oh dear… were my cupcakes **that** bad? I'd better go and get you some of my freshly-baked cookies then!"

"…"

Staring wide-eyed at the ditsy female as she hummed all her way to her lavish kitchen, Broly could've sworn that he felt the other men in the room chuckle audibly at his reaction. _What're **they** gawking at?!_

"What? Can't keep your teeth inside of your damn mouths, maggots?!" he snarled, eyes nearly boring holes into their heads as he did so.

Covering his mouth out of genuine fear, Krillin saw his ex-bandit friend do the same… emotion akin to nervousness clearly visible in the latter's black eyes. _Boy, can't really blame him for that one,_ he commented before moving his eyes back over to where their groups de-facto leader stood.

_Goku? What's he doing?_

* * *

Walking the short distance over to where the agitated man was situated, the kind-hearted saiyan offered him a happy-go-lucky grin…

… making the former almost snort out smoke as a response.

"What Kakarot? Get outta my face…!"

Broly felt like he just wanted to break the man **and** his stupid smile clean in half, innate anger egging him on as he struggled to maintain control throughout. _If only you hadn't granted me life on that sad excuse for a planet Kakarot… you would've been dead by now._

Adopting a friendly look about him, Goku began to word out his apology, "Hey, sorry about that. Bulma's mom kinda acts like that almost all of the time, Hehe!" _Better not rile him up anymore… (Sigh)_

Raising an eyebrow in minuscule interest, _Idiot,_ the frowning male merely 'hmphed' in reply, glancing towards the approaching bluenette as she held a sleeping Trunks within her gentle arms. _Great… more weaklings to tolerate._

…

"So… why'd you guys gather here out of the blue?" _Vegeta… did you fly off someplace again?_

All of the six fighters focused their looks upon the man standing in the center of the room, minds curious in regards to what he would give as an answer.

Tien couldn't help but frown slightly, look matching the one on the older Trunks' face as he inwardly mused, _Why in the world would Goku bring such a dangerous guy back with him? And that too when we've already got someone like **Cell** to worry about… it's all so strange._

The bald man did no have to wait long to receive his answer however.

_Here goes… nice and easy._

Goku sucked in a tiny gulp of air before stating his 'big plan' for all of them to hear; right eye subconsciously focused upon Broly lest he lashed out at him, "Well, I kinda thought that with Cell being so strong and all… we probably could've used an extra hand when fighting him."

"…" _What? Is he nuts?!_

"D-Dad? You serious?"

"Goku… th-that's crazy!"

Not one to simply be satisfied with news of that kind, Bulma frowned in thought before wording out her opinion on the matter, "Uh… that doesn't sound like something that you would really do Goku." _Wait a sec…_

And just as it hit her, the smiling man cleared all of the doubts circulating within her advanced brain… in a heartbeat.

"I know Bulma… but ya gotta understand, Broly here is more than a match for someone like Cell. I'm sure of it."

* * *

"…" _Kakarot… you just **want** to be slaughtered by me don't you?_

Fuming as he began to piece together the puzzle that was his most hated enemy, Broly couldn't stop the growl that emanated from the depths of his chest, eyes glaring daggers at the earth-raised saiyan.

_Does he think that he can just **use** me?! The crafty bastard! This is what he had planned from the start… and I just fell for it like some idiot! Grrr!_

Clenching his fist, the gathered fighters adopting pseudo-stances as they sensed his rising ki... the powerful saiyan gritting his teeth as the ends of his dark locks began to stick up steadily, a massive surge in power flowing through his enraged system.

_Kakarot! How **DARE** you!_

"…"

Mentally sighing, mind having been completely prepared for when such an event would occur, Goku merely approached the angry male before speaking in a calm tone. _He really is something though… better erase his doubts quick._

"Broly."

The shorter warrior's voice penetrating his senses, the living legend growled darkly in reply… before rasping out his hate for the former, "Hrrr… **what**?"

Standing fearlessly in front of the mighty saiyan, Goku closed his eyes for a brief moment before continuing with his statement, "Listen… I know what you're thinking right now. But let me assure you, I… never thought of it in that way at all."

"…"

In sheer disbelief at the man's words, the young boy widened his eyes at the scene. _Dad… what **is** it that you really want?_

"All I really wanted was your help. Trust me, after we take care of this threat… you and I… we'll have a proper rematch."

A challenging smirk formed across his lips as he ended his mini-declaration, heart and mind absolutely sure that the taller male **wouldn't** refuse his tempting offer.

_Hehe, if Vegeta was here… he would've leaped at the chance for sure!_

* * *

"…"

Not sure what to think at that point, Broly sucked in a soft intake of air before calming his inner frustration… the annoying saiyan's confession making him think clearly for a moment, at the very least.

_If he's serious about this… then I guess I simply have to **rid** myself of this Cell-creature. Heh, anything's better than prolonging this pathetic charade anyway._

Meeting an identical pair of onyx orbs, he spoke in a composed tone of voice; ears picking up on the collective sighs of relief that resonated from the remaining male's in the room, "Hmph, so be it Kakarot. I'll… 'assist' you against this guy. But after that…"

For the first time since the previous day, a malicious grin appeared across his lips, "… you're **all** mine!"

Nodding promptly in reply, Goku kept his own smirk in place; few tense seconds passing by before he **finally** broke eye contact with the larger man. _Great, it worked._

Turning back to his baffled friends, he chuckled, "So, you guys okay with this?"

…

Brought out of his state of mute observation, Trunks simply nodded slowly; mind starting to protest louder than his voice ever could.

_This might get really dangerous if those two decide to go at it…_ a feeling of foreboding formed around his gut; chest constricting in mild fear as he recalled his disastrous battle against the monstrous android… _although, that is **if** we manage to beat Cell._

Stepping out of the crowd, stern expression adorning his young face, Gohan at last spoke, "Dad… I don't think this is such a good idea."

Turning fully towards his son, Earth's champion raised both of his eyebrows, as if surprised by the boy's opinion.

"Hm? Why's that Gohan?"

Not meeting the silent behemoth's gaze, the young lad kept his dark eyes placed upon his father's face as he muttered out his objections, "I-I think that… right now we don't need anymore trouble as it is. How do you even know that he'll be enough against Cell?"

A killing intent suddenly filled the air as Broly nearly barked at the half-saiyan, "What?! You doubt my power brat?! Did you **already** forget what I did to you and your pathetic father the last time we fought?" _This kid's beginning to get on my nerves…_

Ignoring the term used to describe his father's abilities as a fighter, Gohan simply narrowed his eyes before replying, "I haven't… but none of us has even **seen** Cell's true power until now."

* * *

"…" _Just who the fuck **is** this Cell guy?!_

Deciding it to be the right time to butt in, as only she could, Bulma scratched her chin in deep thought before speaking, "Hmm… well, if I'm not mistaken, Cell shouldn't have **any** data on this guy either."

"…!"

Whipping his head towards the younger version of his mother, Trunks almost gasped out his immediate thoughts, "Hey that's right! Wow, good call mom… that really slipped my mind."

The grinning woman merely winked at her young son, playfully ruffling his hair as he blushed slightly… the other men (and boy) in the room chuckling at the scene; barring the 'forever irritated' saiyan mutant.

_Bunch of idiots… how do they even function with so much of crap going on?_

Broly was brought out of his cynical musings when his adversary's spawn began to speak once more.

"That may be so, but still…"

Wrapping an easy arm around the concerned young warrior's shoulder, Goku grinned down at him; eyes twinkling with an innate belief that was, quite frankly, indescribable. _Dad?_

"Relax Gohan… we will win this fight. I'm absolutely certain, believe it or not."

Nodding after a few seconds of contemplation, father's words registering themselves within his mind, the demi-saiyan smiled back.

"Right dad."

* * *

**After the kindly Mrs. Brief had handed everyone some refreshments -**

Moving his scrutinizing gaze from one end of the group to the other, mind trying to figure out what his exact role was in the midst of things, Broly sighed silently; drink proving to be of a surprisingly good flavor. _Heh, atleast **something's** worth my time on this mud ball…_

…

Suddenly feeling an inner urge to word out something that had been bothering his brain for a good while, _From what I gather, this guy's even stronger than Kakarot. Hmph… how disappointing,_ he faced his air-headed rival with a deep frown adorning his brow. _Time to get some answers._

"So… just what am I supposed to help your sad ass with Kakarot? Tell me more about this... 'Cell'."

Tensing up as soon as his voice had reached his ears, Tien instinctively looked over at his old friend… expecting him to respond with a carefree persona, as he usually did.

He was genuinely taken aback at what he saw however… _G-Goku? Why is he so-?_

Goku was staring back at the bigger man with a serious expression on his face, as if the latter had asked him the question of a lifetime.

It was true that said query **had** affected him a bit… seeing as it involved a creature that had caused so much of hurt and pain to the people belonging to the planet that he loved.

Clearing his mind completely, the heroic saiyan began to word out his answer carefully.

"Well, it begins with Trunks here-"

* * *

**15 solid minutes later; as the events, starting from the androids arrival up until the present, had been explained to the partially interested saiyan -**

Raising a thin eyebrow at what he had just heard, _And I thought things couldn't get any more fucked up on this rock,_ Broly uncrossed his arms before getting onto his feet.

"Take me to him Kakarot… I want to see exactly what he's made of."

"!" _He what?!_

Not having planned on the man wanting to challenge the evil bio-android so soon, Goku got up and onto his feet as well… hands being waved in front of his face as he spoke, "W-Wait! There's no need to rush things! We're **all** going to be facing him in seven days time…"

"..."

Growling in annoyance, the larger male pushed past his enemy, muttering out words like 'pathetic' and 'fools' as he made his way to the door from which he had entered the Brief home.

_What does he take me for? I'll tear this bug a new one and **then** show him what true power is!_

The impatient warrior had not even walked '5 steps' when… something appeared in the corner of his left eye.

"…?" _Eh?_

Finding a young female, from what he could gather, staring at him with widened eyes… a pair of big, green-hued emeralds that nearly sparkled due to the fear emanating from within them, the man halted in his steps; wanting, for some strange reason, to delay his little trip.

_What the heck?! Did that bastard hit me in the head without me knowing?!_

Baring his teeth at the trembling woman, he huffed and grudgingly turned back to his frowning adversary.

_Don't know **why** I'm going through with something this foolish. Nothing but a waste of my time._

...

Feeling his hardened look ease up, as the tall male made his return back to his previous position, Goku beamed in delight before a growl told him that it was time to head on home… back to his little wife's matchless culinary skills. _Oh boy, am I hungry!_

Looking at the bluenette and her young child from over his shoulder, he smiled softly, "Thanks for the drinks Bulma, but we gotta run… or Chi-Chi will **definitely** not let us have any dessert, Hehe!"

Nodding back with an amused smirk upon her lips, the brilliant scientist wished them luck and saw them out the door.

_That guy and his stomach… both 'things' that will probably never change, hmm… hmm!_

* * *

**Outside -  
**

Having said goodbye to the remaining Z-warriors; three humans choosing to head on towards their own humble dwellings after bidding them goodbye, Goku led his son, comrade and (former?) foe towards his home.

…

_Grrr… like father, like son… both so **irritating**!_

His level of tolerance peaking, in relation to the annoying little pest, Broly finally snapped, "What are you staring at boy?!"

"…!"

Flinching slightly at the man's tone, Gohan flushed pink and brought his eyes back to the front, sweat tricking down his temple due to his embarrassment, "U-Uh nothing… sorry."

Up ahead, Goku inwardly giggled at the scene, having already witnessed Vegeta do the very same before… in the recent past. _Hehehe…!_

Getting a brainwave, he casually turned towards his ever-dependable ally, "Say Piccolo, you wanna join us for dinner?"

Shaking his head at the man's easy-going nature, the namekian smirked lightly and replied, "No Goku, I'll head on back to the Lookout… Dende needs to know about…" his eyes briefly landed upon the grumbling man onto his right, "… all that has happened."

Blinking twice, the cheerful savior nodded, "Oh! Okay, sure… see ya!"

Nodding once at the man… and then, with a hint of smile, at his young pupil, the green-skinned fighter unleashed a sudden burst of speed; white trail of ki present behind his rapidly disappearing form as he flew eastward.

...

_Phew! He sure is fast I'll give him that,_ Goku mused before coming up with a good idea to pass time.

"Hey Gohan!"

Surprised at the barely restrained excitement present in his father's voice, the boy blinked in response, "Yeah dad?"

"Wanna race? Who gets home first gets the biggest serving!"

"No way am I gonna lose to you this time!" the smirking half-saiyan clenched his fists, aura fluctuating around him as he prepared himself.

"That's the spirit!" the proud father returned his son's smirk before wording out the start to their little 'game'.

"You ready? GO!"

"I'll beat you this time dad!"

**WHOOSH!**

"…" _Idiots._

Broly inwardly cursed, letting his green aura dance wildly around his frame, scowl growing even bigger as he did so.

_Better speed up before they start gloating over their shitty victory over me._

It was quite true that he innately felt… 'unsure' of how to navigate his way through such a strange world, having never before actually **stayed** at a planet for longer than a mere few days; courtesy of his father's controlling ways.**  
**

_I just **know** that I'm going to regret this… foolishness._

* * *

**Son Residence -**

**Time: 1345 hours**

Sighing deeply before running the back of her hand across her forehead, the tired woman called for her father to help her carry the dozen 'stacked' plates over to the tiny dining table.

_Oh Kami… I hope they decide to help me with the dishes for once._

Chi-Chi however, through sheer experience of having Goku as her life partner, knew better.

The latter fact, quite surprisingly, didn't deter her from her task in any way... _(Sigh!) Yep, living with those two has definitely made me more resilient if anything, hmm… hmm!_

Her worry for her husband and son's safety had threatened to overtake her heart and mind almost entirely, earlier in the day. But her kind father's care and patience had proven to be just the tonic that she had, right then, needed.

_Thanks… dad._

Her dark orbs landed upon the old man then, their owner appreciating said individual's contributions… albeit silently.

Turning back to the task at hand, the Son matriarch grunted before carrying the last of the giant pots over to the creaking table. _Whew! Hope it holds…!_

...

Glancing at the clock, she sighed once more.

It had been just over a day since they had been gone... and already her waves of concern were beginning to return as she stared every so often at the clunky device; lips having lost their previous joy at the prospect of getting to plant loving kisses upon her child's cheek.

_Goku… Gohan, hurry up and come home… please._

Knowing that her ever-hungry husband's powerful nose would easily pick up on the scent of her cooking, Chi-Chi sighed one final time and joined her optimistic father upon their table; mumble of appreciative thanks escaping her. _(Sigh) Now the food will turn cold too…_

"..." _Poor girl._

Placing a gentle hand upon his daughter's small shoulder, Ox-king smiled broadly at the woman's worried expression, "Don't worry Hon, they'll be back soon. You'll see."

Nodding back with a weak smile, the wife of Son Goku was almost startled out of her wits when she heard the knock on her small home's front door…

**Knock! Knock!**

"...!" _They're back! FINALLY!_

It didn't take too long after that for the rejuvenated female to race over and pull said door wide open; beaming face being her greeting method of choice at that point.

_My baby… he's home!_

* * *

**AN: Done! Hope everyone was in-character, Hehe!**

**[Sorry about the whole mix-up with 'Piccolo' you guys, please give the final segment of 'Chapter 3' another read... thnx!]  
**

**Okay, please let me know how well I did with this one folks… cuz your ideas and suggestions are always at the forefront of my thoughts! ;)**

**Next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter IV: A place to stay

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Dragon Ball' or any of its affiliated elements/products**

**AN: I seriously wasn't expecting this fic to get such a great response… a BIG thanks to all of those who were kind enough to review!**

**Back to business then… ;)**

* * *

**Mount Paozu -**

**Time: 1345 hours**

"…" _This… place is..._

Scanning his new surroundings, greenery and all, the tall man found his interest piqued… if only slightly.

_It's so… quiet here,_ he observed, cool breeze blowing past his face as he felt a strange calmness overcome his features… the ambiance that covered the vast expanse of nature literally making him think of one, singular term.

_Peaceful._

Watching how the small cluster of clouds floated carelessly across the blue sky, without a care in the world, he mused further, _So… this is where Kakarot's lived for so long. Hm._

Looking over at the father-son duo, who were busy in their own little world of annoyingly cheerful grins and chuckles, Broly frowned in confusion; positive emotions radiating around his frame being foreign to one such as him. _They keep going on and on… how do they do it?_

Snapped out of his musings once he heard his name called, the intrigued saiyan put on his mask of indifference once more… hard gaze meeting the friendly one directed his way by the shorter male.

"Hey Broly, wanna come and see our house? It's kinda small… but I think we'll manage somehow, Hehe!"

Responding in a visibly contrasting tone, the shirtless man kept his voice monotonous whilst speaking, "Whatever. Lead the way."

Goku promptly winked at his smiling son before beginning his brisk walk towards a cozy-looking cottage… a few hundred yards beyond where they were presently situated.

...

The thin trail of smoke, it's origins being traced back towards a simple 'bricked' chimney, seemed to be a surprisingly new sight for the man who had never quite bothered to observe the structure of any of his victims dwellings… whenever he would purge some hapless planet upon his cunning father's orders.

_Not that any of it even mattered at that point... I barely even remember any of it._

Broly noticed how the modest house was split up into two major segments… segments that were connected with a short, narrow section that was nearly hidden due to the 'much larger' sizes of the former pair.

He noted how the hut, that possessed the chimney upon it's roof, also contained the source from which a pleasant aroma was emanating out and into the clean mountain air. _That… smells good._

* Growl! *

"…!" _Shit… I haven't eaten in over a day._

Instinctively placing his right hand over his gut, faint colour dusting his cheeks, the short-tempered saiyan glared at his host... eyes transferring feelings akin to his impatience to the latter.

Scratching his cheek in embarrassment at having unintentionally wasted time, Goku grinned before gently knocking upon his home's wooden door; being careful so as not to break it as he did so. _Man, I nearly forgot how hungry **I** was too! Ha-ha!_

**Knock! Knock!**

* * *

Situated onto his father's right, Gohan glanced back at their guest, mildly worried expression adorning his face as anxious thoughts ran across his mind. _(Sigh) I hope mom takes this well… what with him probably staying over and all._

"…"

Arms crossed, Broly tapped his left foot impatiently whilst waiting for his enemy's mate to open the fragile door that led into the modest dwelling. _Meh, atleast this place is still better than the last one. All of those obnoxious humans were **really** starting to get on my nerves…_

A welcome lack of noise, for miles and miles around the entire area, only gave him good enough a reason to let out a small sigh of gratefulness... at having accompanied his simple-minded foe all the way to the latter's home.

Not that he would ever voice that 'out loud' of course... _Not even over my dead body. Hmph._

"..."

Goku chose that exact moment to look over his shoulder and at the burly saiyan, wide grin adorning his beaming face as he failed to pick up on the latter's lack of interest in the non-verbal exchange.

"…" _Yep, ain't gonna happen. Ever._

If West City had merely peaked his interest, no matter how minor, this new location had utterly 'intrigued' him with its contrasting atmosphere. Almost as if he had been taken to an altogether different planet as such.

…

The youngest of the trio chose to speak up at that point, eyes curious as he questioned his father.

"Dad uh... is… is he actually gonna stay with us?"

Gohan hoped that the answer would be something along the lines of 'Yes son, but only until we find a new home for him!' and not anything vague.

His happy-go-lucky parent had his cheerful answer ready within a heartbeat however...

"Uh-huh, he sure is!"

"I… I see, Ha-ha…" _Great… just my luck._

It would seem that his stars were not in the mood to favor him… whatsoever. _(Sigh!) Hopefully things will go smoothly..._

* * *

"!" _They're here!_

"GOHAN! GOKU! YOU'RE BACK!"

"H-Hi mom…!" _… or not._

Chuckling at the look of disbelief on his wife's face, Goku laughed out his greeting to the teary-eyed woman, "Hey there Chi-Chi… what's for dinner? I'm starving!"

A follow-up growl only stamped his valid point home… much to his small family's exasperation.

_(Sigh!) Him and his stomach... both always driving me up the wall._

Brightening up her visage as she laid her eyes over the both of them, the Son matriarch smiled softly before moving back to allow them entry into their home. _Hmm… hmm! It feels like they are just returning from their training or something._

As she held up a hand to stifle her silent giggles, the female noticed an unfamiliar face standing in front of her... succeeding in making her eyes widen in surprise. _Eh?_

"…?" _This little female... is Kakarot's mate?_

Turning back to her husband, Chi-Chi exclaimed, "Goku, who is this? Is he one of your silly friends or-?"

Glancing back at the frowning male, who was apparently **not** dressed to flatter anyone, _He certainly doesn't **look** like any of his buddies though,_ Chi-Chi felt herself gulp as an unforeseen bout of nervousness washed over her heart and mind. _Wh-Why is the room so… 'stuffy' all of a sudden?_

Not liking the absurd feeling at all, droplet of sweat trickling down her temple as the stranger glared daggers at her smaller form, she urged her carefree husband to head over to where she stood… faster.

"GOKU! Who **is** this man?!"

Her aura of suspicion flared menacingly as she returned the unfazed male's glare, not liking the look in his eyes one bit. _Well, he sure 'looks' mean. I don't think even **Piccolo** looked like that ever before… huh._

"…" _So, there **is** someone with a backbone upon his filthy rock after all._

* * *

Strangely amused with the earthling female, who was standing her ground with a firm resolve of sorts, Broly kept his big arms crossed as his adversary made his way back over by his mate's side. _**When** is he even planning to tell her? Next month?!_

Tapping his forefinger against his bicep, he contained his growl… not wanting to become the cause for the woman's frightened screams. _Can't have any of that now. Else I'll have to strangle her to shut her up… Heh._

...

Making his way towards the front door, both arms placed behind his head, Son Goku raised an eyebrow at the scene… confusion clearly etched upon his face. _OH! I nearly forgot!_

He tried his level best to ignore the furious glare that his fellow saiyan was directing towards him then, nervous eyes floating over to meet the former's briefly before fully focusing upon the questioning ones belonging to his wife.

Turning fully towards the woman, he smiled gently… both hands landing upon her shoulders soon after; said smile turning sheepish as he tried to figure out how to approach the situation at hand. _Okay… here we go._

"Well Chi-Chi… uh… how do I put this?"

…

It took mere 'seconds' for the reaction to come crashing through… much to the bemused saiyan's disbelief.

"WHAAAAT?!"

_Damn harpy! Is she trying to blow our heads clean off or something?!_ Broly covered his ringing ears whilst inwardly swearing in displeasure, onyx orbs glaring hatefully at his nemesis. _Damn him! Trying to kill me in such a pathetic way… where did he get the guts?!_

* * *

Eyes being the size of dinner plates, the Ox-Princess blinked disbelievingly at her chuckling husband; said chuckles being of the nervous sort... not that she would even care to notice.

"H-Hehehe! D-Don't worry Hon… this is only temporary so-"

"Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND Goku?! Do you even know what something like this will do?!" _How could he… and at a time like this!_

Sporting a bemused look about him, the heroic saiyan scratched his head before asking, "Huh? Whaddaya mean?"

Rubbing the sides of her temples to prevent an oncoming migraine, the woman sighed deeply before responding in a calm tone, eyes connected with the clueless male, "Look dear, you **do** know just how important Gohan's studies are right? Or did you forget **that** too?"

She frowned at him to add emphasis upon her point, lips sealed in a thin line as she waited patiently for his reply. _Don't you even **think** that I'll let you weasel your way out of this one Goku… not when our only son's future is at stake._

...

Sweating slightly, courtesy of the tight corner that he now found himself in, Goku rubbed the back of his neck before hearing an annoyed grunt emanate from his left… it's owner somehow managing to keep his volatile temper in check.

_Hurry it up fool! I'm not gonna stand out here all day while you two go at it!_

"!"

Getting a brainwave (of sorts), the wild-haired fighter smiled wide at his spouse, made-up story being formed within his head… on the go, "I know how important Gohan's studies are Chi-Chi... but you gotta hear me out first. Please?"

He adopted his 'tried and tested' puppy-dog face at that point; taller saiyan sweat-dropping in tandem at the absurd scenario.

_What?! Is he actually **begging** in front of the woman?! Bizarre…_

Now Broly had witnessed his fair share of weird phenomena whilst spending his developing years in the vastness of space... but nothing… absolutely **nothing** had prepared him for what he was witnessing right at that moment.

_Is it human custom to let your woman walk all over you like this?_ he wondered, eyebrow raised as the shorter saiyan began to state his 'altered' version of events to the glaring female.

…

"I'm listening… go on."

Chi-Chi, for all her stubbornness, found it 'next to impossible' to deny her husband anything at that point… primary cause for the latter being the look that gleamed within his innocent orbs.

_Great! Now... how do I put this..._

Sucking in a calming breath, Goku proceeded to state his 'explanation'...

* * *

**5 minutes later -  
**

"…?" _What. The. **Hell**?!_

In sheer disbelief as to what his rival had just uttered… Broly felt his hand rise up, of its own accord, to **slam** itself right against his dumbfounded face; sound echoing all across the foyer and thus causing a worried Gohan to come rushing back down the stairs. _What did I do to deserve this?_

He had, during the course of Goku's enthusiastic storytelling session, come across certain truths about himself that even **he** hadn't known before then. _And here I thought that I'd heard worse..._

From the one in which he was a wandering orphan who, according to the all-knowing Son Goku, had been kidnapped by space pirates resembling overgrown turtles, _I don't even know what the hell those are!_ all the way to the one where he was subsequently 'rescued' by the former and his son…

… rest of their troupe serving as mere back-up through it all.

The legendary saiyan groaned, feeling as if about to throw up due to the sheer stupidity that was on display in front of him.

_The idiot just __**needed**__ an excuse to embarrass me, _he mentally growled in disdain, heated glare aimed sorely towards the warrior in question as his inner hate for the man increased substantially._ You'd better be ready to face the consequences for this… Kakarot._

…

Having explained the entire situation to his, though he would **never** voice that out loud, gullible little wife, Goku placed his final request out to her; eyes hopeful as he spoke in a light tone of voice, "Sooo… he can stay here, right Cheech? He really doesn't have anywhere else to go ya know."

"…" _Darn you Goku…_

Not having the heart to refuse the earnest request put forward by her man, Chi-Chi sighed heavily before finally giving in. _I guess he's left me no other choice then…_

"(Sigh!) Alright **fine**. Have it your way Goku."

"…!" _YEAH!_

His ecstasy about having his mate agree with him (for once) was nearly off the charts right then. "Wow! Thanks a lot Chi-Chi!"

Giving her a gentle hug, the man promptly headed on back to his prior destination…

… that is, a certain 'food-filled' dinner table. _Oh boy!_

"..."

Staring after him as he walked right past, Gohan was about to word his opinion on the proceedings when his sharp hearing caught onto the brief shuffle of his mother's feet. _Huh? Where's mom going?_

Walking right upto the tall male's face, the feisty woman glared up at him; both arms placed upon her hips as she did so.

"...?" _What's her problem?_ Broly wondered, mind not very keen to face off against the strange earth woman… at all.

_Better not agitate her too much… not when she's already prepared such good-smelling food. _A tiny smirk grew along his lips as he thought back onto the delicious aroma that had wafted up his nose some time back.

"Hey… are you listening to me?"

Snapping her fingers in front of the man, her patience wearing thin by the passing second, the hot-tempered wife of Goku continued once she had managed to grab onto his full attention, "Hm, okay… now if you're planning on staying with us for a while, there are certain 'rules' that you'll have to keep in mind."

The raven-haired saiyan widened his eyes in overtly understandable shock; woman's patronizing tone catching him completely off-guard at that point as he remained speechless. _What the-?_

Sensing the growing tension in the air, Gohan called out telepathically for his father before rushing over by his mother's side… just in case. _Oh man, this might turn out bad…_

Raising her finger to poke at his bare chest, no form of hesitancy coming from her end whatsoever, the fearless female proceeded to state her set of rules out to the silent stranger.

"Alright. Rule no. 1…"

* * *

Heading on over, once again, to the foyer (lamb chop in his right hand) Goku instantly paled at the scene before him; young son mimicking his expression of righteous fear as well. _Oh crap… why now Chi-Chi?_

…

"We turn in for the night at **exactly** 9 o'clock. So no staying up later than allowed and disturbing other people's sleep, understood?"

"…" _Is she even serious?!_

Nodding stiffly in response, Broly swallowed his snarl as the woman continued on with a triumphant air about her… smug smirk on her face throughout. _Good, he's not being difficult._

"Rule no. 2 then. Gohan studies from 12 in the afternoon all the way to 5 in the evening, so I'd better **not** catch you trying to distract him from his studies at any time."

"What...?!" _I don't even **care** about what that brat does!_

Closing her eyes before nodding her head twice, the apparently 'victorious' woman responded coolly, "That's right. You'll have to abide by **those** rules if you plan on staying in this house buster."

Opening a single eyelid, she glanced up at the scowling male, "If not, well... then you'd better find someplace else!"

"!" _M-Mom… don't get him mad!_

Visibly shaking due to the steadily rising level of ki that he could sense emanating from the irritated saiyan, Gohan looked towards his father for help, "D-Dad… do something…"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Goku bravely approached his wife; guard up throughout lest she lashed out at him… taller saiyan's dipping level of tolerance not helping his cause in any way. _Ooh boy… I don't even know who is the scarier one here…_

"Hm? What is it Goku?" Chi-Chi glanced back at her approaching husband as he stiffened abruptly, before adopting a nervous grin.

"Huh? Oh nothing Chi-Chi… it's just... well…"

Trying to think his words up beforehand, the hesitant savior began to explain the entire scenario to her… to the best of his ability; mind still praying that their guest wouldn't snap and decide to blow up their little house. _Here we go then…_

As the plan, or atleast the parts involving 'Gohan', was laid out before the suddenly attentive woman…

* * *

"…"

Having heard the main reason for the strange man's sudden visit to their home, Chi-Chi glanced back at him briefly before turning back towards her visibly nervous husband. _Then… does this mean-?_

"Goku… does this mean that Gohan won't have to go with you to fight? You brought this guy here to help you right? Tell me…!"

Getting a helpless look about him, the man, not wanting to lie to his wife, sighed before replying; lips forming a difficult smile as he did so, "No. Gohan still has to go with all of us to fight Cell Cheech. I'm sorry."

...

Broly crossed his arms and remained unmoving from his spot, scene before him succeeding in boring his mind completely. _Honestly, since when did us saiyans have to get **permission** to go out and fight? This pathetic planet and it's people have made you way too soft Kakarot…_

...

"…" _B-But… why…_

Head hung as she tried to get her rampant emotions under control, the Son matriarch sighed heavily before looking up into the innocent orbs of the man she loved… and trusted. _Goku…_

Smirking suddenly, a confident look shining across her dark orbs, Chi-Chi held her fist over her husband's chest, before assuring him of her faith, "Alright, have it your way Goku. But… please promise me that you'll **both** come back safe."

_Chi-Chi…_

Smiling warmly back at the woman, Goku nodded back with a wink, both hands placed gently upon her shoulders as he did so, "You got it. I'll make sure that Gohan comes back safe and sound."

"..."

Gohan stood silently by their side… a joyful smile upon his young face as he witnessed the rare scene take place before him. _Dad…_

The only one who had caught onto the brave warriors hidden message however, was, surprisingly enough, the very man who prayed daily for the former's premature death.

_Kakarot… what exactly did you mean by that?_ Broly wondered, single eyebrow raised as he looked away from the tender scene; bored grunt escaping him soon after as he observed the streaks of sunlight wafting in through the small window.

_Don't tell me that you plan on…_

* * *

Having assured his wife about the safety of their son, a factor he was also made to promise to keep in mind, Goku smiled at her once more before moving to ruffle his brave boy's unkempt locks. _Yeah, you'll definitely make it back home safely son. I've given your mother my word._

Looking over at the increasingly impatient male standing onto his far right, he grinned sheepishly in response, "Hehe, sorry to keep you waiting," meeting his mate's gaze soon after, he then inquired, "Sooo… do we have a spare room for him too Chi-Chi?"

Placing a finger on her chin, the female furrowed her eyebrows in thought… before replying in a triumphant tone, "Now that I think about it… yes, I believe we **do** have one room that never got used."

Turning to look the taller man in the eye, she continued, "Maybe you can sleep in there."

...

Containing his annoyed growl within his chest, Broly nearly barked, "Who **cares** how the damn room is Kakarot?! Just show me where it is already!" _Anymore sentimental crap and I'll blow this whole place up!_

"…!" _Whew! He sure gets mad real quick!_

Waving his hands in front of himself in defense, Goku chuckled and headed up the short flight of stairs… before his left hand gestured for the other saiyan to follow. "It's up here Broly… c'mon!"

Swallowing his annoyed retort, _How childish can he possibly get?_ the mentally exhausted fighter wordlessly followed the shorter man's lead… innate grumbles well-hidden from the frowning harpy and her infernal son as he kept his fists unused by his sides.

_Hopefully this day won't get any worse… I really **can't** take much more of this._

Needless to say, the rest of the afternoon would pass by smoothly for the members of the Son household... their guest being well-fed and catching onto some well-deserved sleep.

* * *

**The Lookout -**

**Time: 1400 hours**

"…"

Left utterly speechless after what the older namekian had just told him, Dende felt his grip upon the wizened cane tighten considerably, droplets of sweat forming all along his forehead as his worried mind began to imagine the sheer implications of Goku's decision.

_I can't help but feel that this... may not turn out as well as he thinks._

"Something on your mind Dende?" Piccolo questioned the visibly fidgeting guardian, perceptive abilities on 'full alert' as his gaze remained emphatic. _Can't really blame him I suppose… he's not the only one who's helpless right now._

The powerful Super namek was obviously referring to his **own** outclassed level of power at that point, prior defeat against both Cell and the monstrous saiyan of legend flashing across his sharp mind. _(Sigh) Things are certainly looking bleak if we've got to deal with the both of them…_

...

Shaking himself free from the initial stage of shock, Dende looked up at the motionless warrior, mind already knowing that the latter was in deep thought. _He's far more worried than he lets on that's for sure._

"Actually…"

The taller namekian opened his closed eyes in response; arms still crossed as he focused his full attention upon the guardian in question.

"… I'm... more concerned about what will befall Earth if it gets exposed to so many strong powers all at once Piccolo."

"…" _Kid… I..._

Heading over to the edge of the spacious grounds, Dende sighed softly and glanced down at the planet that was 'supposed' to be under his protection and watchful eye. _How can I even 'hope' to do anything at this point? When beings like Cell outclass me and my powers by entire leagues?_

Shuddering slightly at the thought of facing off against the evil bio-android, the little namekian steadied his fear-infested heart... eyes growing misty as he physically 'felt' every single life force that arose from the flourishing planet beneath him.

_Forgive me… please. I-I'm just… too **powerless** to help you all._

* * *

"…?"

Feeling a strong hand upon his small shoulder, he sniffled inaudibly and looked towards the stoic being onto his left, "P-Piccolo?"

Giving his charge a nod of reassurance, belief in their triumph over the creature that threatened the very existence of their world being unshakable in nature, Piccolo clenched his jaw slightly... as his mind tried to come up with a satisfactory response.

_What can **I** possibly tell him that'll ease his heart about all this?_

The wisdom that he had inherited from his other half came to the surface in that moment, allowing him to smile gently at the confused healer, _Hm, this will cheer him up._

"Do not worry yourself like this Dende. I know that whatever Goku has planned will bear fruit soon enough."

Looking out and across the empty blue sky that welcomed his gaze past the edge of the gargantuan lookout, the tall namek kept his positive expression intact before speaking once more, "Cell… **will** be defeated a few days from now. That is what my faith tells me… and now with someone like Broly on our side…"

He noticed the hesitancy that overcame Dende's features right then, meeting the latter's eyes yet again with his voice remaining as calm as the stream that flowed steadily across the countryside… undisturbed by any and all around it's form.

"… I'm certain that the tide will change soon enough in our favor."

…

Clenching his free hand into a small fist of determination as the thoughtful words of this senior registered themselves within his mind, the green-skinned youth felt his own thoughts clear up and give rise to new hope within.

_Yes. He's right. This is the time to show faith in our friends. I can't afford to let any kind of despair spread around anyone._

"You're right Piccolo… I… I was being selfish and cowardly."

The ex-Demon King smiled kindly at the shorter namek, pride for the latter shining within his dark eyes as he crossed his arms once more, _I knew you would get used to this job faster than me kid._

Dende adopted an optimistic look about his small frame before facing the former guardian fully, singular fist raised as he made a heartfelt declaration... "I will pray for Goku's success for sure! He will win this… **we'll** win this battle against Cell!"

"Hm." _Indeed we will Dende, however…_

Feeling a foreign concern crawl up his frame, Piccolo moved his contemplative gaze out and across the vastness surrounding them at that point, focused mind hell-bent on training himself to the very **limit** for the gruesome fight that awaited him… and his comrades.

_… I can't help but get a bad feeling about all of this. Especially with **him** in the mix._

Whatever the case, the wise warrior knew that to win against a relentless killing machine like Cell… they would need the services of an even 'greater' one.

...

Letting out a composed breath, Piccolo frowned; years of experience trying to calm his agitated psyche the best they could.

_This might just get ugly… for many of us._

* * *

**AN: Phew! All done!**

**I apologize for the unforeseen delay in this one peeps… damn life issues, LOL!**

**So, it seems that I now have some questions that need answering!**

* * *

**- NIX'S WARDEN:**

**1) Wonder if Broly can use SS2?**

**A: **_Hmm, we will have to wait and see now won't we? (Sorry if I trolled you regarding this)**  
**_

**2) Doesn't Broly have a tail?**

**A: **_Well, all saiyans have it at birth but his apparently got 'removed' sometime during his younger years (5-8 I think) seeing as Paragus (his dad) sensed the danger that it posed at that point in time... and WOULD, soon in the future._

**- Scion 141:**

**1) Brolly should live on the Lookout. Living with the Son family will be awkward for everyone. That's a no. Living with the Briefs, yeah, no. Vegeta lives there, nuff said. The Lookout is peaceful and living there might help him regain his sanity.**

**A: **_Good point. Kami's Lookout is indeed an excellent place to go to if one seeks isolation and inner peace._

_Sadly however, the reason why I have decided to go with a more 'homely' setting will be revealed during and most probably AFTER the Cell Games is done and dealt with. Kindly put up with me till then.**  
**_

**2) You said you wanted ideas, well here's mine. If you plan on pairing Brolly with someone, please let it be Android 18. Most stories with Brolly in them have him paired with an OC. It's time that changed. Brolly/18. Krillin and her aren't official by this time. So, it's good.**

**A: **_I haven't really thought THAT far ahead but I thank you for the… 'suggestion' (*evil grin*)_

I don't mind the idea, it's just that things will take time to reach that stage… judging by the current pace at which I'm going at, Hehe!

**3) If you plan on writing another Broly story some time in the future, Please let it be a Marvel (Avengers, X-Men, or whatever) crossover. There are just too many DC/DBZ out there, not enough Marvel.**

**A: **_Hmm, good idea... although I haven't read ANY types of comics for years now (barring 'manga'). Let's see… if fate has it in store._

* * *

**A HUGE thanks from my side to both of the above reviewers for their invaluable input and interesting queries. I hope that the future chapters will also meet your expectations guys!**

**Peace out -**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter V: Predicaments… of two varying kinds

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'Dragon Ball' or any of its affiliates/released products whatsoever**

**AN: Sweet, I've got a good pace going at last! Awesome!  
**

**So, this time I aim to dig around a little bit within our protagonist's unpredictable psyche! Hopefully it turns out as 'tasteful' as I had originally envisioned it to be...**

**Now, without further ado –**

* * *

**Somewhere, miles away from any and all traces of civilization -**

The steady wind blew across the landscape smoothly, not a single obstacle standing in its single-minded path as it gloated it's freedom to any and all around it. Latter proving true for all... save for one single, solitary figure that stood motionless in the very center of a recently constructed fighting ring.

It was a unique sight to behold… without doubt.

_Only a few more days… and the almighty Son Goku, along with the rest of his precious planet, will be **nothing** but dust! Hmhm!_ the monstrous creation inwardly chuckled, mind not the least bit worried about what would occur in the near future since he had already (according to him atleast) sealed the fate of the very same world that had been his birthplace.

Tapping a lazy forefinger patiently against his bicep, arms being crossed, the crowning achievement of the devious Dr. Gero smirked slightly… in-built arrogance more-than-visible to anyone willing enough to observe his facial features.

_This is simply too perfect._

Cell felt his smirk widen, gaze calmly scanning the barren wasteland that surrounded him from all sides as the foreboding silence felt like music to his ears. _Soon I shall show to these misguided fools just **why** I was built. Why I was designed to be the ultimate being. An unsurpassed pinnacle of advanced cybernetic creation!_

State of the art data banks filled to the very brim with information regarding the earth's finest warriors, the bio-android felt his psyche turn as cool as ice… no worry whatsoever present in his system as he envisioned his inevitable victory upon the horizon.

_This upcoming tournament will surely prove to be too easy for me though. Bah...!_

A sudden thought occurred to him then, previous mood of curiosity overtaking his immediate senses, _But…_

Frowning by a good amount, as he soon recalled wondering just where the four super saiyans (_and that **infernal** namek,_ he innately added in contempt) had run off to the day prior, Cell glanced once more across the vast plains in front of him.

_I did wonder why their energy signals had simply vanished into thin air out of the blue. Were they not **on** the planet at that time? Strange…_

Also being reminded of the strange ki that he had picked up soon after the small groups return, the inventor of the upcoming 'Cell Games' began to search his broad mental inventory for the elusive answer regarding the former's identity.

_I'm sure that it was a saiyan… but how is that even possible?! Goku and Vegeta are supposedly the only two remaining in existence. Could… there be ones that I have missed?_

His soulless blue eyes widened at the thought, mind genuinely interested by that point. _Wait… if this is true…_

A low chuckle floated up through his chest cavity, finally escaping out past his amused lips as the sounds of the former resonated all around the hauntingly silent landscape... _If this little factor proves to be true, then things will certainly get **far** more interesting… for me._

Wondering just how powerful the new addition would turn out to be, Cell began to formulate a 'whole new plan' for the upcoming battle that he was to host and participate in, _I will have to ensure that every one of those battle-hungry idiots gets a fair share out of this historic event, Hehe!_

...

Knowing that no force, living or dead would be capable of standing in the way of his fun (and eventual victory), the evil android smiled devilishly... mood brightening up almost instantaneously.

_Goku… I hope your new friend is worth my time. Else I would be forced to **end** this little charade sooner than originally scheduled, Ha-ha-ha!_

...

The plan was set and 'in motion'... as it had been for the past few days upto that point.

Except that this time… the unbeatable Cell was sure to look forward to testing the abilities of the most recent addition to the Z Fighter's below-par (according to him and his flawless reasoning) arsenal.

_What will you have in store for me I wonder? Will you even be worth my time? Or simply turn out just as foolish and wasteful as Vegeta and Trunks?_

Smirking one final time as his deadly gaze effortlessly incinerated a little blue songbird, one that had the very audacity to land and start preening itself a few meters onto his right, Cell at last ended his internal musings…

_I honestly look forward to meeting you… my little 'mystery fighter'. Hmhmhm._

* * *

**Back with a mentally troubled saiyan -  
**

Having fallen asleep quickly, thankfully without much trouble, Broly kept one forearm placed across his forehead as his other arm rested upon his steadily 'rising and falling' torso.

Letting out a small sigh, he let his thoughts wander, _What a day it's been. I was sure that I'd **explode** because of that childish fool's antics… again._

Growling softly as an image of the jolly saiyan popped up within his tired mind, the man promptly chose to ignore the former; mind wafting into the welcome embrace of peaceful sleep as he did so.

_Time to get some (Yawn!) shut-eye..._

…

It had not been an hour even, and the weary saiyan had already begun to toss and turn in his provided bed… frown growing all along his brow as droplets of sweat appeared upon his creased forehead.

_Guh…! N-No… stop it father!_

* * *

**The nightmare –**

_"P-Please! D-Don't! Have mercy-GUAAAH!"_

_The pleading voice had been permanently silenced by a ruthless entity... one that had only just entered into adolescence. _

**_BLAAAAM! _**

_"Boom! Ha-ha-ha! Die weaklings!" _

_... _

_It had been (yet) another day of him having purged an entire race of people without leaving behind any sort of trace that would have indicated to the latter having ever existed. No doubt it had been his hobby ever since he could remember... a thing that could be traced all the way back to his blood-drenched childhood.  
_

_For the most part though, his innate saiyan instincts had been at full-flow; lack of a conscience being a presently 'ignorable' liability. Not that he **or** his manipulative father would've cared about it... in the slightest._

_"Hehe! That was fun!" the young teen grinned gleefully, blood beginning to race within his veins as his mind's thirst for further carnage continued to increase. _

_"Rrr… c'mon father! Show me another planet to blow up! NOW!"_

_Glaring at his pathetically weak parent, no generosity coming from his end in regards to the former reference… at all, Broly clenched both of his fists; patience dimming faster with every pant of adrenaline that he let out, savage gaze remaining stationed upon the silent male standing a few feet away from his floating form._

_("If he doesn't give me more fun soon I'm gonna have to kill him too! Haha!")_

_"…"_

_Frowning deeply, in obvious worry over his **own** well-being, Paragus looked around at the foul stench of death and destruction that resonated around his unmoving form; heart instinctively proud at his offspring's achievement… as his mind's righteous fear only continued to grow._

_("This…")_

_A solid drop of sweat trickled down the side of his temple, eyes widening slightly, ("He's grown so strong in such a short time. I… I can't believe just how quickly he managed to wipe out a whole race of people. It's… certainly frightening.")_

_Swallowing the lump in his throat... and finally noticing his young son's cold gaze upon him, as if he was meant to be the next victim on his mental list of 'things to tear apart', the wary man calmly walked over to where the youngster now stood. ("I'd better be on guard all the time. This definitely is not like before... when he was just a mere child.")_

_"Hey! You deaf or something? Hurry up and show me what to kill next!"_

_Grinning in an insanely sadistic manner, eyes flashing raw blood-lust as his fingers nearly trembled with the urge to find something… **anything** to grab hold of and break into two, Broly growled lowly. ("Meh, this is getting boring...") _

_... _

_His devious mind suddenly got a brainwave then, grin widening evilly and making his approaching parent back away slightly, as an involuntary reaction. ("Hehe, I so wanna play with someone's **head** next!")_

_...  
_

_Coming up with a crafty fib at that point, one that would have no doubt spared him from his restless son's wrath, Paragus spoke using a composed tone of voice... presented 'act' being almost flawless in its execution. _

_"Uhm… yes. Well son, seeing as you've already wiped out an entire planet's worth of people in the last few minutes alone, why don't… why don't we just go home and rest until some of the survivors ("Pah! I know for a fact that he's erased any and all forms of life from the very face of this rock!") decide show themselves?"_

_Noticing the thin eyebrow that had been raised by the youth in reply, the man quickly finished his statement... knowing that he had a limited time-frame to do so. _

_"Once they do, I'm sure that you would just **love** to make them suffer all the more for it, right?" ("Kami above, I pray that this works… I just need him to be asleep, even if it's for a short while.")_

_Keeping his nervous gaze steady, eyes trying their best so as not to give away their owner's plans to the surprisingly cunning lad, Paragus remained quiet, awaiting his son's response. ("Hope he doesn't ponder about this too much. He should be getting hungry by now anyways…")_

_His offered bait had been scooped up greedily by the smirking teen then; latter almost laughing his head off at the suggested idea._

_"HAHAHA! Well what do you know… you actually said something smart for once!"_

_"…"_

_The maniacal saiyan's father kept mum, fists placed at his sides whilst his eyes remained focused onto the task at hand throughout. ("Laugh all you want my son... it's the only thing that'll be under your own control once I'm through with you.") _

_Inwardly chuckling at the success of his strategy, a masterful grin following soon after, Paragus thought further, ("Soon your astounding power will be put to the right use by yours truly. Yes... very soon.")_

_"Then let us head back Broly. I'm sure you're famished from all of your... 'exercise'."_

_"Hmph, lead the way then father. But don't slow me down you hear?" ("Poor slowpoke, I'd better lead the way from next time onwards… it'll probably save me from the **boredom** atleast.") _

_"Very well… let's go home son."_

* * *

**After a quick meal, once some hours had passed by -**

_"...!" _

_Snapping his eyes open, Paragus glanced around his stationary form, not wanting to mess up the golden opportunity… at **any** cost. ("Yes. This is perfect. What a chance indeed…")_

_A smirk grew along his lips as he got up and out of his modest bed, feet shuffling noiselessly across the gravelly floor as he began to muse further, ("It's quite fortunate that Krang managed to prepare the circlet well ahead of time too. I'll be sure to reward him for it.")_

_Heading swiftly towards his secret domain, Paragus entered the necessary code before the doors of the small room moved aside... leaving an opening in their wake through which he could enter.  
_

_("I must not falter while doing this… in any way. There will only be a single opportunity available within which I must succeed.")_

_"Now then, where did I put it?"_

_("Ah... yes!")  
_

_Eyes landing upon a solitary ring, placed at the far right of the enclosed room, the man smirked wider as his future conquests flashed before his eyes… then being extinguished soon after; owner having already picked up the gold-colored device in his hands. _

_("There will be time for all of that later. I **must** remain focused here… for my own good.")_

_…_

_The day having been to his apparent liking, topped off with a satisfying meal prepared by his 'waste of space' of a father, Broly slept soundly, his left leg twitching every now and then as he snored peacefully… due to old habit._

_…_

_Walking carefully into the shabby room belonging to his son, the low-class saiyan gulped one final time before lifting the gleaming object with both of his trembling hands. ("At long last. We can **finally** have our revenge upon that infernal Vegeta. My dream... it shall finally see the light!")_

_Moving noiselessly over to where his young offspring lay, latter's sleep proving to be of the pleasant type as far as he could tell, Paragus hesitated one final time before plunging into the last phase of his ultimate plan… headfirst. _

_("NOW!")_

_…_

_"…?!" ("Eh?")_

_"F-Father? What are you-?!" ("!")_

_Snarling out loud, instincts kicking in as their owner found himself cornered, of sorts, Broly lashed out at his persistent attacker… wanting to throw the man off of his vulnerable frame completely... arms and legs flying all over the place as the scuffle merely intensified.  
_

_"G-Guuhhh… rraaa! AAAARGHH! ("NOOOO! STOP!")_

**End –**

* * *

"Noooo! STOP IT!"

…

"…?" _W-Wha-?_

Panting heavily as droplets of sweat covered the entirety of his gleaming face and torso, the mighty saiyan held his head with one shaky hand, eyes shut tight as his breaths escaped him at a furious pace.

_I-It was… a dream. Only a dream... yes._

Having woken up with a start, the man had hardly even noticed (or cared) about the noise that he had made right then, mind calming down after the painful memory sunk back into his subconscious once more.

Apparently, lady luck was also acting in his favor at that point, seeing as Chi-Chi had not come barging into the room screaming out profanities in his direction.

_(Sigh!) And am I thankful for **that **little convenience._

Wiping the warm liquid from his brow, Broly sighed deeply (once more) before swinging his long legs off of the bed... letting them feel the hard wooden floor present beneath soon after.

A reminder of the gracious fact that he was no longer asleep **or** a prisoner of his own haunted memories and nightmares._ Hmph, I'll probably **never** be able to forget any of those... not while I'm still alive atleast._

Letting his eyelids drown out his vision, both forearms resting upon his knees as his back hunched over slightly, the man eventually moved his dark orbs to glance out of the small window present in front of his seated form.

_Mm… it's a quiet night I'll give it that. The fool's house is surely the only place out here that even contains any form of life._

An amused frown appeared on his brow as he thought further, smirk following soon after, _Either that, or the local creatures are smart enough to keep 'well away' from this mad house... Hehe._

Shaking his head, the male proceeded to lie back down and let his mind wander once more… this time trying to focus more upon his recent nightmare instead... _It's high time I got all of this useless garbage out of my system. It keeps eating away at my mind whenever I try to ease up and relax._

Staring blankly at the ceiling for a good two minutes before moving his attention away from the former, the troubled warrior suddenly recalled the fact that his ki would've no doubt fluctuated wildly in the brief moment that he had woken up from his mental debacle.

_Meh, not like anyone would have even noticed it anyway. Those other useless idiots are probably snoring away in their homes without a damn care in the world._

Recalling just how 'worried' they had all seemed to get every time their upcoming battle against Cell was mentioned, atleast from what he had gathered earlier in the day, Broly wondered just why his most hated adversary was being so infuriatingly calm about it all.

_I know that Kakarot wants me to… 'help out' against this so-called Cell, but what I don't understand is his insistence upon letting his whiny brat participate as well…_

Finding the answer annoyingly elusive to his mind at that point, the mentally exhausted man eventually decided to not ponder over it for too long… lest his psyche fall victim to further bouts of unwanted stress.

…

Adjusting his position upon the mattress, properly this time, he let out a relieved grunt before renewing his attempts to catch onto some good sleep.

_Hopefully I'll just sleep through something like that if it pops up again. (Sigh) Curse that man to the pits of hell..._

* * *

**Knock! Knock!**

"…!" _Grrr… what **now**?_

Getting out of his, though he would never admit it openly, 'comfy' bed with an audible grumble, Broly headed over to the door before swinging it wide open, an irritated growl following his act soon after… _Of all the-!_

"What do **you** want brat?!"

"!" _(Sigh!) I guess this was a bad time... he looks as mad as ever._

Scratching the back of his head, akin to how his father often did, Gohan nervously worded out his message to the imposing saiyan in front of him, "U-Uh well… I just came up here to call you down for dinner. It's ready."

"…" _Hmph._

Nodding his head once, before slamming the door in the boy's face, Broly headed back into the dark room before pulling on one of his 'host's spare t-shirts… latter proving to be more of a muscle-shirt if anything due to **his** naturally bigger build.

_Guh, with the way that kid and his blasted mother continue to stare at me, I'd better cover myself up beforehand... lest they decide to give off one of their stupid comments about the way I dress next!_

Moving on and replacing his preferred white pants and red sash with a simple pair of grey pajamas, the man sighed irritably before exiting the room at last… mind set on getting the necessary task over with as soon as possible.

_I'd **hate** to be stuck down there chitchatting with that brainless idiot and his harpy. It's better that I chug down my food and head out for some fresh air instead._

Mentally accepting the idea with a nod, the tall saiyan made his way down the short flight of stairs before entering the small dining area belonging to the Son's.

The greeting that he received turned out to be an enthusiastic wave of sorts... the latter courtesy of the owner of the modest dwelling within which he presently found himself to be living.

"Heya Broly! You're just in time for some dinner!"

"…"

_Scratch that… I'll simply take all of my food **outside** this hellhole._

…

Finally getting seated into one of the empty chairs, largely thanks to an overexcited Goku, the voluntarily silent man waited with uncharacteristic patience for the Son matriarch to bring out the last couple of dishes that would eventually complete the 'wholesome' dinner.

_About time,_ he inwardly muttered, adopted a slight grimace as he witnessed the father-son duo drool outright at the sight of all the delicious food. _Hmph… amateurs. Even if the food is as good as that, I'm definitely **not** gonna be praising the harpy for it._

* * *

Letting out a sigh of relief once the last of the giant pots had been placed upon the creaking table, Chi-Chi smiled at her two boys before stating the customary words used to signal the beginning of their usual evening meal.

"Itadakimasu! Dig in you two!"

Grinning wide, joyful eyes aimed at his heavily laden plate, Gohan repeated his mother's words in sync with his grinning dad, "Itadakimasu! This looks great mom!"

"Yeah Chi-Chi, you're the best!"

"Thank you dear. I'm glad."

It was obviously no secret in the household whatsoever that Goku had (due to his **vast** level of experience in the matter) managed to leave his young son in the dust; hands guzzling heaps upon heaps of food into his 'endless pit' of a stomach as disturbingly guttural noises escaped his throat. _Yum! All of this is so good! Nom-nom!_

"…"

Observing the entirety of the scene with a scrunched-up face, eyes wide as he took in the behavior of his two fellow saiyans, Broly groaned softly before digging into his own meal. _This might take some getting used to…_

Now the man **knew** how saiyans usually ate, what with him having an enormous appetite himself. But it was largely thanks to his father's influence that he had eventually 'learned' how to eat only **one** thing at a time.

_Am I glad that I don't look as foolish whilst eating as these two maggots,_ he inwardly mused, slight relief wafting through his system...

... before he saw a stray hand invade his territory from the corner of his onyx eye. _He wouldn't…_

"Hey Broly, you don't want this sushi?" _It'd be shame to let it go to waste, Hehe!_

Grinning wide, brain naturally lacking the sense to at the very least 'wait' for the bigger man's response, Goku chuckled softly before popping the delicacy into his agape mouth. _Mmm! Juicy!_

Hearing the sound of his rival's chewing resonate within his ears, Broly found his innate rage nearly burst onto the surface… again.

* * *

In short, he was livid. Utterly and undoubtedly **pissed** at the clueless hero.

"THAT'S IT!" _**Now** he's done it!_

"…?"

Looking up from his food, Gohan innocently offered his own plate over to the furious man onto his right, father staring confusedly at the latter from his position opposite him.

"Here you go. I've already had my share."

"Eh?" _What?_

Fists raised at his sides, muscled frame having been raised up into a standing position from his previous 'seated' one, the surprised saiyan raised an eyebrow at the generous offer on display.

_Odd, I thought sharing food was something that us saiyans just did **not** do…_

Calming himself down whilst ignoring the sharp glare aimed his way from across the small table, courtesy of a thoroughly unamused Chi-Chi, Broly grunted out his reluctant appreciation in Gohan's direction before reclaiming his perch… gaze remaining suspicious the entire time, exactly as his nature warranted. _Hmph._

...

Handing the tray over to the man, who accepted it begrudgingly, the smiling boy focused his attention back onto his mother's delicious cooking once more… gigantic appetite having been inherited from his happy-go-lucky father.

...

Shaking his head free of the insignificant occurrence, the sulking guest turned back to his lonely plate before proceeding to inhale the rest of it's contents down… although in a slightly 'better' manner than his oblivious host.

_Truly… this is only the second time that I would **ever** remain grateful to trash like him. Or any of his filthy descendants.  
_

…

_Well **that** got resolved pretty quickly._

Having stayed surprisingly quiet for the entirety of the meal (or banquet, judging by the sheer amounts of food available), Chi-Chi silently observed the remainder of the eating session in front of her... large meal that she had so painstakingly prepared almost vanishing from right under her nose as she remained seated.

_It's… strange,_ she mused, eyes glancing briefly in the direction of the tallest fighter… who was situated right across from her.

_But... maybe it's because I'm used to only feeding **two** hungry men in the house at one time._

Shrugging off her concerns and forfeiting the idea of attempting to strike up a conversation, the woman concentrated upon her considerably smaller meal and continued to enjoy her state of wonderment... more or less, _(Sigh) It wouldn't have worked anyway. Not when there are three saiyans present at the same dinner table…_

A casual smirk crossed her lips at that thought.

_… three very **hungry** saiyans to be exact, hmm…hmm!_

* * *

**After the (obviously) awkward dinner had been done and dealt with -**

Having removed himself from the immediate premises, mind utterly unwilling to spend yet another second around the childish man, Broly wordlessly made his way out past the front door of the Son home… whilst trying to not rip it off of it's hinges in the process.

_Feh. Stupid, weak thing,_ he grumbled irritably, psyche literally filled with curses for it's owner; latter emotion having taken form due to **him** having remained in the same exact room as his most detested foe for longer than only a few allotted moments.

_First I agree to live in the same damn house as him. Then it's the food! When will it **end**?!_

"Damn you Kakarot!"

Growling out loud, and feeling surprisingly relaxed at having let it out of his overburdened system, the male continued on in a lighter tone, feeling the sudden urge to talk to himself, "I... don't even know how much more of this I can take."

…

Finding himself near to a peaceful, flowing stream; darkened sky with it's twinkling stars being his only companions at that point, he managed to whisper his final words out into the cool night air... lonesome atmosphere proving to be just what his mind required right then.

"It's definitely well **beyond** my current level of tolerance... that's for sure!"

Crossing his arms before eyeing his reflection within the steady stream, Broly began to, for the first time in a considerably long while, 'question' his decision of allowing his foes to live.

That too when he could have effortlessly disposed of them all at that particular point in time… without any love being lost in the process.

_Heck, I'm more surprised by the fact that I actually decided to **follow** them to this worthless mud ball. What was I even thinking?!_

Letting his eyelids droop over his vision, he added further, _Was it really needed though? Will this… Cell creature **actually** be worth all of my trouble?_

Allowing his thoughts to tune out the rest of his surroundings proved to be an excellent choice for the mentally troubled saiyan right then, seeing as he had a lot of things to sort out… atleast within his own confused mind.

* * *

Broly's dark orbs turned livid as he at last came to a solid decision... his very first in a decent while.

_Kakarot… I'll make you **rue** the day that you gifted me with this life._

"…"

Turning his head slightly to glare at the full moon, that had apparently decided to show itself, mind completely unconcerned about the other three individuals who called the house that he had just exited their home, the bitter man muttered out his heartfelt vow to no one in particular.

_I swear it._

…

Looking over his shoulder at the window that framed the laughing and joyous family within it, he soon adopted a dark look about his eyes and found his resolve to be strengthened further.

"I hope you're ready. Because soon I'll **bathe** myself in your blood."

The mighty saiyan innately knew that the above was the **primary** reason for his brief stay upon the little blue planet… as well as him having to tolerate all of the meager creatures that inhabited it; them irritating him to no end.

"Then... it'll be the turn of your snot-nosed brat..."

The unbridled killing intent, that had made this man so very fearsome in the first place... had finally come full circle it seemed.

* * *

**AN: Done! Next chapter there will be some MAJOR developments in relation to the events that are about to occur.**

**The above is because I've decided to 'even things out' properly… in order to broaden the overall reading experience as such.**

**In short, chapters 1-3 have thus far dealt with introducing us to all of the main characters. 4-6 have served the role of constituting a decent quantity of 'filler-ish' material, along with giving a bit of a look into Broly's current mental state.**

**My goal (at present) is to make sure that chapters 7-10 successfully portray what all of the Z Fighters have been doing… preparation-wise.**

* * *

**OKAY! Time for review responses! **

**- The real Mark Ishtar: **

**A: **_Yup, I initially thought of going down the very same road (using an OC), LOL! _

_However, it seems that your logical arguments (along with Scion 141's ideas) have proven the victor in the end! Hehe!_

**- Scion 141:**

**A: **_True, even I didn't really greet his SSJ3 form (from the 'Raging Blast' series) with open arms… and probably never will. On the contrary, Vegeta was totally badass as a SSJ3!_

* * *

**Thanks a lot for reviewing though. I hope that the following chapters will be to your liking as well!**

**Cheers people and g'bye!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter VI: Respect, inner feelings and tranquility

**Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over 'Dragon Ball'... at all. (It rhymed -.-)  
**

**AN: For those of you who still feel a tad bit confused, in relation to my previous 'chapter breakdown', I feel that it is somewhat necessary to present it to you in a much clearer format...**

**Chapters 1-3 (Introductions/Z Fighters reaching Earth)**

**Chapters 4-6 (Broly settling-in and finding a temporary residence at the Son home)**

**Chapters 7-10 (Z Fighters preparing themselves/Broly's training)**

**Chapter 11 (Situation with the human populace/Mr. Satan's predicament)**

**And finally, the main event: **

**Chapter 12-? (THE CELL GAMES!)**

**The above is my immediate plan for now, so please keep in mind that I'll never EVER hand out any further spoilers in future. Period.**

**Right then, here's the 1st of four UBER-long chapters -  
**

* * *

_That pathetic fool! How **dare** he mock my strength so openly!_

Grinding his teeth, fists tightly clenched at his sides, a highly pissed-off prince furiously made his way home, eyes narrowed down as he at last managed to pinpoint the location of the large, dome-like structure.

_I'll get you for this Kakarot,_ he growled inwardly, landing down smoothly before making his way over to the front door, dark orbs glaring daggers at the latter's door knob as if it had committed a felony that was of unforgivable standards. _Even if I have to go through that behemoth **and** Cell to do it!_

Trying not to crush the object within his strong grasp, the man let out a frustrated grunt before making his way inside of the building… said grunt being his way of letting the other residents become aware to his arrival.

"…" _Where is that **blasted** woman when you need her?_

Trying to locate the tiny ki belonging to the blue-haired genius, Vegeta began to walk further into the house, arms at his sides as his scowl refused to dissipate. _I cannot afford to waste a single minute as of now. Dammit! At my current level, I'm still way out of that freak's league._

Letting his innate anger rise to the surface, the proud saiyan snarled menacingly… seemingly oblivious to his immediate surroundings as several curious eyes landed upon his stationary form.

...

"…?" _Father? He's back already?_

Having expected his parent to take his 'own time' to come to terms with the unforeseen change in their situation, Trunks merely raised an eyebrow in surprise as he noticed the older man's presence in the hallway onto his right.

_Well… he looks mad so that **can't** be good I suppose._

The youngster had been patiently watching the news for any sort of recent information regarding the devious Cell and his sadistic activities... in relation to terrorizing the Earth's remaining population.

It would seem however, that the cunning creature had refrained from doing the former… seeing as he had other, far more important plans up his sleeve already.

_I still find it hard to believe that he would simply 'wait' for 10 whole days for all of us to get ready to face him..._

Frowning as he recalled his last conversation with the evil android, the warrior from the future felt his own frustration come up to take a whiff of air right then. _The sick bastard._

Snapped out of his musings at the sound of a certain bald monk's words, Trunks blinked twice before focusing his entire attention onto his silent father. _Whoa, nearly spaced out there..._

...

"V-Vegeta?"

Krillin, for obvious reasons, had been left completely in the dark regarding Vegeta and his usual 'alone time' routine. Although the timid man **had** (eventually) come to realize that the prince had been missing for the entirety of the past day.

Glaring at the short male, most probably due to the reaction that he had just executed, the annoyed saiyan 'hmphed' and glanced away once more… arms crossed across his chest before he shot back.

"Is the woman busy right now?"

"Eh?"

Blinking in confusion, having never heard him address him so 'calmly' before, the nervous fighter scratched the back of his bald head before it hit him. _Oh!_

"Uh well… Bulma's been workin' in her lab since morning from what I know."

"Hm. I expected as much." _Stupid earthling female. Doesn't she realize that **I** am her top priority at this point?_

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Krillin pushed on bravely, "I uh… I th-think that you'd better not disturb her right now though."

"…"

Rewarding the uneasy male with a thoroughly bored look, Vegeta snorted out his response before making his way up the flight of stairs. _As I thought. She's playing with her little toys again… and wasting **my** time._

* * *

Getting onto his feet and dashing after the man, Trunks stopped mere feet behind him before speaking.

"Wait dad..."

Halting his ascension, the flame-haired saiyan merely waited for the younger male to continue… before growing severely impatient with the latter's hesitance, "Speak up boy! I don't have all day to waste upon you!"

"…!"

Backing away by a small step, the purple-haired youth glanced at the floor before stating his concerns, "Are… Are you feeling okay? You **were **gone for the whole day yesterday so I was just-"

Not needing to turn back around to respond, Vegeta merely continued his climb up the stairs, voice cold and detached as he spoke in a low tone, "That... is none of your business. Don't you ever question me about that again."

"But…"

Adopting a harsh tone, the wounded prince nearly barked back, "Don't make me repeat my words! We are to never again discuss something like this. Understood?"

"Y-Yes I... understand."

Not wasting another second over his own flesh and blood, Vegeta scowled at the former one final time before removing himself from the immediate vicinity... "Good."

...

Having noted the finality in his father's words, Trunks sighed softly before making his way back into the drawing room. _Why do I even try? When he's not even willing to co-operate... even once._

…

_Man, that Vegeta sure can be a real jerk sometimes._

Giving his morose friend a pat on the back as he returned to his previous position by his side, Krillin let loose a kind smile, "Hey… it's okay Trunks. You know how he gets when he's real mad about something right?"

Sighing once more, the demi-saiyan only smiled weakly in reply, eyes meeting the dark ones belonging to the kind-hearted human, "Yeah. Thanks Krillin."

Giving him a thumbs-up, the shorter male winked back... positivity radiating off of his small frame, "Anytime."

Turning to face the TV soon after, frown appearing over his brow as a single droplet of sweat flowed down and past his temple, Krillin then spoke in a grave tone, "Although, what **I** think we should be worried about is what that Cell's upto right now."

Mimicking his comrade's tense look, Trunks stared pensively at the news channel that they were on; reports being relatively mundane in nature as no new activity had yet surfaced, feet stretched comfortably in front of him as his back rested against the couch.

_Yeah. I just can't seem to shake off this strange feeling that he's upto something entirely different. Maybe… Maybe he's carrying it out while all of us are simply sitting here, doing nothing._

The hardened warrior clenched his fists slightly as a sudden surge of nervousness overtook his system. _Grrr… whatever it is, I bet that it's got **nothing** to do with this stupid tournament of his._

As 'news flash upon news flash' failed to hold onto the interest of the small group of worried men; their moods continuing to remain pensive as they (each) inwardly tried to ease their minds a notch, it seemed as if they were **doomed** to remain completely passive to everything wrong in the world at that moment.

...

Closing his eyes and readily choosing to spend the time available meditating... by the far corner of the spacious room, Tien frowned softly as his sharp senses picked up the distant ki signature of their dreaded foe.

"...!" _My gosh! What an awful lot of power he's got! It's **huge**!_

Clenching his quivering jaw, eyes still shut off to the world around him… companions too busy flipping through the channels for new information, the triclops regained his composure before at last adding a final comment to his mental musings.

_What really worries me though… is that this is probably just the tip of the iceberg._

* * *

**An hour later -**

Yawning as boredom finally managed to defeat him outright, Yamcha leaned back on the pillow that his head was placed upon. _Man, this sucks. If none of us can even lay a scratch on Cell, what's the point of holding onto these stupid hopes that we'll **all** come out of this one alive?_

Thoughts taking on a largely pessimistic nature, without much effort from his end, the scar-faced man popped an eye open before laying his question forward; latter apparently being something that had been bugging him for a good while, "Yo, dude…"

Trunks, snapped out his thoughts for the second time in one day, faced the ex-bandit with a questioning look present in his eyes.

"Yeah?"

Scratching at his cheek with a single finger, Yamcha tried to think through his words properly… before eventually deciding to simply 'wing it'. _I mean, this is Trunks we're talkin' about here. Not that **grouch**._

"… I was... kinda wondering. Did Vegeta **really** get beaten by that Broly guy?"

"…" _Oh joy._

"Yamcha! Now's not the time for any of that," Krillin reprimanded his old friend, disapproving gaze aimed at the surprised man as he remained seated. _Of all the things to bring up... he chose **that**?_

"H-Hey whoa! Chill out Krillin… it was just a question!"

Waving both of his hands in front of his face, sheepish grin in place, the dark-haired male felt his nervousness come into the fray… with full force. _Oh man, did I say something wrong?_

"…"

Having chosen to not immediately respond to the human's query, Trunks kept his eyes glued to the floor onto his left as his mind began to race. _(Sigh) Father will never forgive me if something like that gets out into the open. But…_

His primary concern had obviously been to ensure that his father's **already** tarnished pride did not become the prime subject of merry gossip and ridicule between friends and allies alike. Simply put, he just didn't want to wound the man's honor any further.

Atleast, that is what he 'thought' he should stick by.

_What's the point? If he doesn't even care about what I think or feel why should **I** return the favor? What's in it for me anyway?_

Finally giving up on trying to defend the selfish man, seeing as Yamcha wasn't 'as big a loud mouth' as his bald friend, the young time-traveler let out a calming sigh before finally answering.

"Well…"

Focusing completely upon the half-saiyan, Yamcha blinked twice... somehow managing to hold in his verbal surprise. _He's **actually** gonna tell me? Wow._

"… things weren't exactly going our way, to be honest. In fact, you could say that we were as close to death as possible." _And then some._

* * *

The two humans listened attentively as their young friend from the future narrated the events that had occurred on New Planet Vegeta, eyes widening slightly as the latter told them in **graphic** detail about how Broly had completely decimated them. All at once... and with little effort.

For Krillin though, it was somewhat similar to re-living a nightmare of sorts… even though he himself hadn't engaged the brute in combat at that time.

_Woweee… it's a good thing I didn't fight him then._

A nervous grin adorned his face, mood lightening up considerably at the thought, _And here I am, worrying about how scary Cell is, Hehehe…_

Coming back to reality as a low whistle escaped his other friend's lips, the man gulped before addressing Trunks once more... "Yeah... he did do all of that huh?"

Nodding in compliance, the youth sighed softly in response, eyes lost in thought for some reason. _Maybe I… shouldn't have told them 'everything'._

Already having forgotten about his father's brief spell of cowardice... long back, Trunks wasn't quite sure as to how the other two humans might take the piece of 'information'.

_(Sigh) I hope they don't toss this around carelessly… he'll never even **speak** to me again if he catches wind of it._

…

Yamcha, meanwhile, was in a state of amused shock.

_Whoa! Vegeta? Being scared like that? This Broly guy sure pulled a number on him then._

…

Getting up from his slouched position, the youngest of the three smiled weakly before speaking, "Uh… I'm just gonna go out to get some air guys."

Thinking it over quickly he added with slight hesitance, "It might take me a good while though."

Understanding the half-saiyan's need for space, most probably to help him get his head cleared up, Krillin chuckled good-naturedly before replying, "Nah, that's okay Trunks. Take all the time you need." _Cuz you're probably gonna need it too._

"Yeah, we're still gonna be cool without you here bro!"

Nodding one final time, a far brighter smile plastered onto his lips, Trunks made his way out the door and took off into the air… most likely heading over towards the Lookout so that he could at last gain some peace of mind.

_(Sigh) I hope Piccolo doesn't mind me being there. Right now, I just need a place where I can **really** relax._

* * *

**Back at Capsule Corp -**

"…"

Having spent a good few minutes meditating… sadly to no avail; progress apparently not quite willing to come his way, a mentally exhausted Tien finally cracked his eyes open as a low groan came frolicking past his lips.

_Darn, this is not good. I haven't been able to concentrate at all._

Uncrossing his legs before heading over to sit by his other two compatriots, the three-eyed warrior let out a relieved sigh as his muscular frame crashed heavily beside them. _Oof! I nearly forgot just how soft these couches really were._

Eyeing the man carefully before wording out his thoughts, Krillin twiddled his thumbs before attempting the latter, _Well... here I go._

"Uh Tien?"

"Hm? What is it Krillin?"

Crease forming across his tense forehead, the shorter male swallowed his fear before speaking, "I w-was just wondering. Do you think that once we say… 'beat' Cell, those two androids that he absorbed will be killed off too?"

"…"

Raising a fine eyebrow in response, alert mind not quite understanding what his friend was trying to convey, the former Crane student kept his skeptical stare in place before answering.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I honestly don't know. Seeing as they **are** a part of him now, I don't see why they wouldn't perish with him… if at all."

Shoulders drooping as a defeated sigh escaped his conscious control, Krillin merely let out a nervous chuckle as the taller man tilted his head in further confusion. _What's he getting at anyway?_

…

He did not know why he had just asked that question.

Heck, he didn't even know **why** he had come up with it in the first place!

_(Sigh!) What am I gonna do?_ the ex-monk inwardly wailed in exasperation, heart and mind plagued by emotions that he pretty much **knew** weren't of the healthy type.

_At this rate, I'll only end up a total mess…_

Shutting his eyes with an inaudible groan, Krillin was immediately jolted awake once he felt a concerned hand upon his trembling shoulder. _Wha-?!_

* * *

Having observed how various 'complex' emotions had played themselves out across his comrade's face, Tien narrowed his eyes in concern before reaching out to state his thoughts on the matter to the worried man. _I've never seen him like this before. I wonder…_

"Krillin, I think… I think I know what it is you're **really** trying to say."

"…"

Removing his hand from its perch before continuing, the taller human ploughed on, tone as serious as ever, "And all I can tell you right now, what with Cell and this new… really powerful guy in our midst, is that you'd better reconsider your decision."

Staring at the man with eyes as wide as could be, the shorter warrior found his next words falter before he had even spoken them.

"B-But I…"

Frowning at his next statement, atleast on the inside, Tien got up from his position and turned away from the still seated Z Fighter. _I know this might not be something that he'll like but (Sigh)… the world alone holds far more importance in my eyes right now._

"What I'm trying to say here is, that you'd be doing yourself a big favor... by forgetting about her."

"..."

Letting out a breath that he didn't even know was held back in, Tien ended his advisory statement using a serious yet compassionate tone, "Look, I'm not trying to force your decision here Krillin... but if you think that pursuing someone like that android is actually **worth** your time then by all means, go for it."

"I-I uh... hm."

Left totally speechless, courtesy of his stoic friend's suggestion, the bald man hung his head low; eyes finding the soft carpet down south really interesting all of a sudden. _B-But that's…_

...

Knowing that he had verbally hurt his ally's feelings, the battle-hardened fighter kept his composure firm regardless… eyes staring out the window at the vast array of houses and people going about their day-to-day business as his mind raged on.

_I cannot let anything distract him from what lies in front us right now. Even… Even if none of us can even hope to compare ourselves to Cell's level of power, we can atleast show up at that damn tournament with all of our minds cleared up!_

Clenching his fists as the realization, that he himself would prove to be utterly useless on the battlefield in the coming days, sunk in, Tien held back his frustration with the finesse of a man used to such difficult emotions.

_No. **None** of that now._

Glancing over his shoulder at the silent man seated behind him, Yamcha having gone inside the kitchen earlier to grab a small snack, the three-eyed human eased his tense expression... small smile taking form as **another** obvious truth dawned upon him.

_Well at the very least... once he's fully focused on what needs to be done, I'm sure that I'll finally get a 'worthy' opponent to train with._

Walking past the depressed warrior, hand reaching out to connect with the former's shoulder once more, though only for a mere second, Tien made his way out of the building as well…

... mind set on heading back to Chiaotzu so that he could refine his skills further.

_If I do my part, I can atleast die without any regrets._

* * *

**With Krillin -**

"…"

Heart not quite willing to digest his friend's frank words; mind relentlessly urging him to focus on what really mattered at that point at the same time, the former turtle school student let out a pained sigh... confused feelings in relation to a certain blonde android eating away at him from within.

Krillin though, was certainly no fool.

Years spent by the side of his close pals had taught him how to read right through their words… enabling him to also understand just what they were trying to say at various points of a single conversation.

An excellent example of this would have to be the one time that he had (successfully) guessed Piccolo's exact intentions... regarding his permanent reunion with Kami.

Adopting a sad smile, lone tear escaping his control and trickling down his cheek, the lonely man shut his eyes as his mind began to clear at last.

His priorities, it would seem, had changed once more; mind apparently becoming infatuated with his friend's victory in the upcoming battle that would test all of their physical, mental **and** emotional limitations.

"…"

Making his way into the kitchen, only to be greeted by his scar-faced pal yet again, Krillin grinned back before grabbing a soda from the fridge. _Goku… you'd better win. For all of us._

Thinking back onto his previous muse, he chuckled inaudibly as the face of the beautiful android appeared within his mind's eye once more…

... before completely dissipating into nothingness.

_Well, there goes another one…_ the bald man sighed, heart hurting slightly before being forced to relax and accept the harsh reality surrounding it's owner… _I guess._

...

Krillin had, on his own, come to accept that his premature closure was probably for the best at that point.

Seeing as the mostly positive and 'hopeful' ambitions that had been floating around his heart and mind, for such a long time, had only managed to devolve into simple, mixed feelings in the end.

_(Sigh) It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway. She's better off without me..._

* * *

**Meanwhile, a good distance away from West City, by a calm stream -**

_I honestly don't know why we've come here today. What was the point? Shouldn't we be training right now?_

These were the type of thoughts that had been floating all around my head as I turned over to my right to catch a glimpse of my father relaxing without a care in the world.

Sighing for the umpteenth time that afternoon, I at last let a brief bout of lethargy take over my heart and mind as my body mimicked my father's posture. Tucking both of my hands behind my head, I allowed my legs to stretch out ahead of me; eyes closed as the warm sun watched over me like a beacon of protection and hope. _This feels nice._

…

"Hey dad?"

"Hm?"

Trying to come up with the right words to say, I swallowed my doubts before continuing, "We've only got a few more days left. Shouldn't we atleast spar a little?" _Why isn't he worried? What's his secret?_

Calmly smiling back at my surprised expression, the man who had had a part in my birth winked cheerfully before responding... "Aww, don't worry 'bout it Gohan!"

Turning fully towards the young lad, left elbow propping his form up as he spoke, the naive saiyan spoke further, albeit with a calm tone, "See, if we put our bodies through so much of training all at once, we simply won't be at 100% when it matters the most." _And I know that we just __**have**__ to be at our very best against Cell._

The man apparently had not thought it to be necessary for his curious son to become acquainted with his inner thoughts at that point.

Seeing as his primary goal, ever since the both of them had exited the Room of Spirit and Time, had been to surround the half-saiyan with an absolutely stress-free **and** peaceful atmosphere.

* * *

Blinking twice before witnessing the male mimic his actions, Gohan simply nodded before staring out at the bright blue sky; innate doubts still very much alive.

_Well, he's got a point. But still…_

Coming out of his musings once he felt a gentle hand upon his unruly hair, the boy returned his gaze onto his grinning father, his own lips forming a sheepish grin as his inherent child came out to the fray.

"…" _Poor kid, I really shouldn't be making him worry so much._

Adopting a look of parental compassion within his gentle green eyes, Goku felt himself frown at his own actions. For the first time actually 'questioning' the methods used by him in relation to his only son. _(Sigh!) And he's barely even 10._

As his good luck would have it, it didn't take long for Earth's noble hero to grasp onto a 'much-needed' brainwave right then.

_Wait… **I** know!_

Getting up from his lying position, hands supporting his weight from behind him, Goku looked down at his surprised son before giving his intentions a verbal form.

"Hey Gohan, wanna go and see what Dende's upto? I bet he's already feeling pretty lonely up there with only Piccolo for company, Hehe!" _He needs the opportunity to act like a kid every now and then too… I guess._

…

Following his father's example and sitting up, legs being crossed as both of his hands soon found themselves placed in the middle of the tiny space, the young super saiyan tilted his head to one side in genuine confusion at the older man's sudden decision.

_Okay, I 'thought' he was acting more cheerful than usual, but now…_ Gohan found it hard to ignore the hopeful (and more or less 'pleading') look that had enveloped his father's emerald orbs by then… _I'm certain that he's got a backup plan._

Utterly convinced about his theory, thanks to his many years of studying and being entire leagues ahead of other children his age, the boy found a whole new sense of understanding take form within his curious mind.

_That's gotta be it! Father has got to have a foolproof plan on how to beat Cell if he's **this** relaxed about things._

Noticing how a small frog had managed to grab the male's attention… momentarily distracting him and making his mouth form a grin akin to one usually seen in a carefree kid, Gohan smiled proudly in the direction of the former with a corresponding smile of his own.

Here, right in front of him, was the man he aspired to be like. Who he looked upto or rather **had** always looked upto since as far back as he could remember.

_Yeah, he definitely does. I'm sure of it._

…

"Okay let's go dad!"

"…!"

It had truly surprised him as to just how cheerful and boyish his son had sounded right then. _Gohan…_

It was almost like he, being only a boy aged 10, wasn't going to participate in **the** biggest battle of his young life. As if his mind didn't even have a single thing in the world to be concerned about right then.

Adopting a look of unbridled pride within his kind orbs, a highly pleased Son Goku got up, patted his offspring gently atop his head and promptly took to the air…

… latter in tow with him; typical Son grin on his happy face.

_That's my boy._

* * *

**Later -**

As the father-son duo flew towards the Lookout, seeing as instant transmission would have simply ruined the entire purpose of them spending some 'quality time' together, Goku thought back on to Gohan's sudden change in demeanor.

Thinking about how the latter had transformed from being skeptical and (righteously) doubtful, to completely pleasant and excited.

_Hehehe, he's probably looking forward to hanging out with Dende again!_

Seeing their destination appear on the horizon, the smiling hero glanced back at the young warrior before looking ahead and towards the future... once again.

_I hope you're ready Cell… cuz have I got a surprise for you._

* * *

**Elsewhere -**

"..." _Perfect._

He had chosen this isolated ravine, that lay a few miles to the south of his new residence, for a single, 'easy to understand' purpose.

_Atleast I'm far away from that overbearing harpy anyway._

The man had found himself reflecting upon all that had thus far happened in his life. The moment of truth had been constantly nagging at him from the back of his mind for the past few days now... much to his dislike.

Having finally had enough, he had then decided to go out for a breath of fresh air… hoping against hope that his moment of reflection would **not** be disturbed, least of all by his infernal nemesis and his meddlesome brat.

_Heh. Not that I would've really minded them being my two 'punching bags' for the day._

...

Although Broly had yet to come to terms with the sudden 'calm' that had invaded his life, he certainly felt all alone in his new home… and for all the right reasons.

_Hmph, the only reason I'm even willing to put up with this charade is so that I can get my chance to kill that naive fool._

Finding his saiyan blood boil with anticipation, the tall man smirked arrogantly at the thought that had formed within his more-or-less 'bored' mind... _Your death will be nice and slow Kakarot. Oh yes... I guarantee it._

…

Having had enough of standing motionless upon a tall ledge that overlooked the thick forest below, Broly descended onto the hard ground before deciding to find a small snack for himself.

_The wild creatures here seem to be quite edible. Good._

Catching sight of a lost young deer through the thick undergrowth, the devious man grinned, like a predator on the prowl.

_Well well... there we go._

* * *

**After a well-deserved meal, that had thankfully managed to sate his enormous appetite for the time being -**

*Gulp!*

"Aah… that hit the spot!"

It certainly hadn't taken him long to use his ki (and a few roughly chopped pieces of wood) to prepare his small lunch, former being used in place of flames since it would have simply proved to be a waste of time... and firewood.

_No wonder father referred to us, saiyans, as ace survivors. I bet we could live almost anywhere._

Having his broad back supported by a tree stump, new location being outside of the thick forest and more similar (looks-wise) to the countryside that he had originally flown **away** from, Broly sighed heavily before placing both of his hands behind his head… eyes fluttering shut as he found himself innately content with his current state.

_Not bad. I could get used to this._

…

After some serene moments had passed, the relaxed male suddenly found a distant thought float back into his psyche. _Rrrr… **that** again._

Thinking back onto his prior confirmation of the calm that had unknowingly entered his life, overtaking his heart and mind without him even realizing it, the raven-haired saiyan began to wonder whether all of it was really just a 'dream' of sorts.

Almost like the one where he would suddenly wake up without prior warning; a prisoner to his father once more, freedom stripped from his person in its entirety.

"…!"

Propping himself into a more alert position, body still seated as his left elbow rested upon a raised knee, Broly frowned deeply as his inner hate threatened to rise up to the surface once again…

… before being extinguished by him with little trouble, thanks to his so-called peaceful state… as compared to his older mindset.

"Never again. I **refuse** to bow to someone else's whim like some dumb puppet!" _Not when I've finally found out what true freedom really means._

...

Noticing how the sky brightened up by a few notches, hidden sun having peeked out from behind a large cloud, the man felt his tense expression dissipate… if only slightly.

_No matter, I'm actually looking forward to letting off some steam against this… 'Cell' anyway. _

Allowing his eyelids to cover his vision entirely, mind somewhat struggling with innate violent tendencies... but only by a tiny fraction, the man ended his internal debate with a 'drawn out' groan of boredom.

_Damn, this is going to be one looong week. What a shame._

**[Countdown: 6 days to go]**

* * *

**AN: Firstly, a big thanks to 'Masterdragon1' for the passionate review! ;D**

**Okay, I think that this fic is definitely going far better than I had previously thought… what with the characters shaping up so nicely and such.**

**If any of you guys have an idea or such that you liked thus far… or WANT to see be implemented within this here story, please feel free to let me know.**

**(Reviews are definitely the way to go, just in case you're wondering! LOL)  
**

**Next time -  
**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter VII: Days of peace… before a cataclysmic battle

**Disclaimer: I don't own DB folks… although the idea 'did' cross my mind several times.**

**AN: I'm glad that the previous chapter got such positive feedback. It made me feel as if I was doing the right thing (or going down the right path) or something! XD**

**Anyways, it's time to put a halt upon my incessant rambling.**

**Off we go then!**

* * *

_Well… so much for getting some well-deserved 'rest'._

Realizing that the words that framed my thoughts sounded similar to the ones (usually) uttered by highly ungrateful folk, I merely let out a heavy sigh in order to vent my pent-up frustrations… and troubles.

What made things worse than ever, it seemed, was the undeniable fact that my mind was still as burdened as ever… thanks to my troublesome father and his unpredictable actions.

_And here I was, hoping that he would've calmed down a notch by the time I got back… (Sigh)_

Making my way over to the kitchen, after having greeted my bubbly grandmother with a tired smile on the way in, I silently reached out for a glass of ice-cold water; wanting to just let it's cool contents wash my parched throat clean. _Aah…_

...

Leaning back in an easy chair whilst letting my eyelids droop over my vision, I began to reflect upon my recent progress (or **lack** there-of) with my prideful parent. Not really keen on recalling certain other memories related to a monstrous cybernetic creation.

_Now I know how Gohan felt when his options were so limited all the time._

It seemed that remembering all of the 'good' times that I had spent with my former master and friend had allowed my lips to crack into a hopeful smile of sorts, heart feeling lighter all of a sudden as a whole new aspect of my present situation played itself out in front my mind's eye.

I promptly let out an ardent wish at that point, knowing that it was foolish and childish yet persevering with it nevertheless.

_Gohan, I wish you were here with me right now. You'd understand what I'm going through best… right?_

The only thing that sent a reply my way was the gentle breeze blowing through the open window… it's drapes waving softly as the bright sunlight penetrated the innermost confines of the polished kitchen within which I remained seated.

_I really miss you… a lot._

And I certainly wasn't lying about the above, definitely not. I knew it better than anyone else that the sheer experience and intellect of my teacher would have, no doubt, proven to be an invaluable asset to us all at this difficult time.

Yes, I had no doubt in my mind that the Gohan of my timeline would've actually been able to make this, presently bleak, scenario seem hopeful and positive… in his own, unique way.

_(Sigh) If only…_

* * *

"Oh my! What's the matter Trunks dear? You look worried about something."

"…!" _Eh?_

Having temporarily forgotten about the chirpy woman still present within the cozy kitchen, I flushed slightly due to my embarrassment at having been caught daydreaming… again. _Why do things like these always happen to me?_

"Oh uh… it's nothing grandma. Nothing at all."

Tilting her head to one side before, thankfully, accepting my explanation with a bright smile following soon after, I let out a relieved sigh before getting up and out of my seat... former offering me a piece of advice as I did so.

"But if you're not feeling well dear, you could always ask me for a cup of my special herbal tea!"

Glancing back at the kind female with an appreciative smile, I momentarily began to wonder just what kind of part she would've played in my upbringing had she been alive in my timeline.

_Heh, it would've been 'amusing' to say the least._

...

Fortunately though, I successfully managed to snap myself out of the wishful scenario without further ado… lest it caused my innermost emotions to reawaken once more.

"No, that's okay grandma. I'll be fine. Promise."

"Oh… alright dear. I'll just go and see what your busy mother is upto then, hmm-hmm!"

It didn't take long for her to excuse herself from my presence then, tray of various eatables in one hand as she sauntered away… out of the kitchen.

"Don't let me catch you stealing any of my cookies though, okay?"

"Uh… yeah. Sure." _No matter how much time I spend around her, she'll **still** be as strange as ever._

…

My immediate concerns had shifted onto something 'else' right then as well.

_Yeah… how could I **possibly** even forget about him?_ I let out a sarcastic grimace before making my way over to the lounge, hoping that the TV had some program on that would allow my nerves to ease up a bit.

_I'll have to admit though… it's completely fine with me if that freak has stopped showing his smug face on TV. It makes watching things on it less of a pain._

Browsing through the channels one after another, however, soon made my eyes feel heavy due to the sheer boredom that it induced upon my psyche… which was already laden with worries and concerns of various types.

None of them however, quite matched up to the first and foremost issue that had been plaguing my mind for the past couple of days.

_Dad, why won't you let me in… even once?_

Shaking my head at the very idea, I relaxed my shoulders completely before turning the distracting contraption off… remote being flicked over the couch with little effort as I let my mind wander once more. _That's better._

* * *

I had, thus far, only observed the man from a safe enough distance, never having been able to summon the courage necessary to confront him head-on.

_He wouldn't take me seriously even if I **did** get right in his face… *grumble*_

My concerned mother had, earlier in the day (during breakfast), informed me about how Mr. 'Prince of all Saiyans' had spent the whole of yesterday inside of his precious gravity room.

He had, apparently, refused to accept any of the food or water presented by her as well.

_Hmph, to think he would turn out to be **this** stubborn. It's no wonder that mom finally gave up on getting him out of there._

Glancing absentmindedly over to my right, gaze falling upon the staircase that led up and towards the uppermost levels of the large building, I allowed a frown to adorn my brow.

_What really bugs me though, is the main 'reason' for his foul mood._

Luck at last bent in my favor, as I soon recalled that mom had actually witnessed (first-hand) his near 'annihilation' of the entire living room the day prior.

_To think that a haughty announcement by that **Cell** would make him exile himself within that room of his. Things are definitely far more serious than I had previously thought._

The above was 100% true.

My humiliated father had grown unbearably livid at his ultra-powerful foe's mocking attitude towards all who would dare to present a challenge to him.

_(Sigh) Well, knowing my dad, that would have no doubt gotten his 'saiyan blood' all boiling again. What with Cell also being the very same guy who had made him look like some helpless weakling not too long ago._

Having half a mind to go up there and try to reason with him, I sank back down into my seated position with a defeated sound escaping my lips; mind knowing that the former would have proven to be fruitless in the end... anyway.

_What's the point? He obviously **isn't** going to be accepting my help… or anyone else's for that matter._

A sad memory, one related to my real mother, popped up within my mind then.

I still, in utmost clarity, could remember each and every word that she had uttered... when I had first planned to make my trip back into this 'soon-to-under-threat' timeline.

_She was so… 'confident' that I would find a way to get along with him. But…_

Running a hand through my long hair, second trip to the ROSAT having proven to be just a little above-average, I at last closed my eyes; head tilted back until it rested against the seat of the couch situated behind my stationary form. _It's probably better to just leave him be for now._

Somewhere deep inside, some concealed part of me thought it absolutely necessary to add a final thought to my musings then.

_I hope you don't end up killing yourself in there, dad._

But once again… somewhere within my heart, I just **knew** that his stubbornness would result in him burning himself out regardless.

* * *

**As the mentally exhausted man rested, mind less of a mess as compared to before -**

Through my experience thus far, I had somehow managed to make a mental list of all things 'wrong' with this timeline. However, even those complex theories had begun to create doubts within my mind at this stage.

_I wonder just what Goku was thinking, letting such a dangerous guy live with us… on **Earth** of all places._

...

Having, thanks to his lucky stars, never before come across such a monster ever before in his young life, Trunks thought back onto their battle against the powerful saiyan mutant.

_Boy, was **that** a bad idea. Should've listened to dad for once and just escaped that planet when we had the chance._

Frown adorning his tense brow, the lavender-haired demi-saiyan immediately contradicted his prior thought, mind letting his rational logic run wild for once. _But then, that crazed maniac would've no doubt followed us out into space… and then all hell would've broken loose._

Letting the horrific scene take form within his cautious psyche, the youth promptly shook his head, _No way. Then it would've been **us** who'd ultimately end up as being the main cause of so much of death and devastation._

Having understood the sheer implications of what would have occurred had he, or any of the others, gone through with that particular course of action… at that point in time, Trunks let out a sigh of forced calm before thinking further.

_I wonder if it was a good idea, allowing him to stay with us to fight against Cell. Just **what **is Goku's big plan?!_

Innate frustrations coming to the surface, the male nearly growled out his irritation in relation to the older saiyan's 'tactics', _Dammit I just wish that he would tell us about it already!_

He knew, however, that the heroic warrior was no fool.

He most **definitely** had had a plan up his sleeve if he had decided to allow someone as dangerous and unstable as Broly to live upon his adoptive home planet.

_It's not that I don't trust him and his judgment, but…_

Scratching the back of his head with a small groan, Trunks stretched his left leg properly before lazily glancing out of the giant window situated to the left his prone form.

_… I can't help but be worried about the fact that we now have **two** big problems to deal with… even if one of them is simply being put on hold until further notice._

In short, he simply did **not** know whether having someone such as Broly assist them, in the long run, would actually prove beneficial or not… if at all.

* * *

_Where **I** come from, those two would technically be at the very top of the food chain._

The son of Vegeta was referring to the desolate world that was a part and parcel of the timeline from which he, himself, had originated.

Unimaginable devastation and an ever-increasing death toll being the two prime factors that constituted his broken-down home's state of existence, Trunks narrowed his eyes before letting his suddenly wild imagination run rampant… more or less.

_I simply cannot imagine the **carnage** that Cell or that freak of nature would be able to pull off were they to exist in my timeline. It… It's just too horrible for me to even fathom._

Having been beaten to near death by the androids 17 and 18… in all of his attempts to thwart their unjust reign over his world, the warrior from the future brought his hands together and intertwined his nervous fingers; raw tension emanating from his shivering frame as the symptoms in direct relation to his 'damaged' psyche began to show themselves.

_Ugh… not now… please no. I need to be strong… for this world atleast._

...

"..." _Phew._

Finally managing to compose himself enough so that he could think straight once more, Trunks sucked in a calming gulp of air and let it out with a mighty heave... one that made his entire frame shudder. _That's better… yeah._

In short, the half-breed was a saiyan who had faced and pretty much **knew** what true fear and helplessness meant.

Coming into his own at last, he thought; mind easing up as blood rushed back into his cold palms… successfully returning some feeling into them in the process. _To be honest, I really don't know what to think at this point. On one hand I've got a universal threat in the form of Cell, who could easily destroy the whole world at a moments notice… and on the other I've got a monstrosity that makes even the androids that have plagued my very existence look like mere playthings._

If there was one thing that Trunks knew for sure… it was that his role in the scheme of things in the near future, had become more insignificant than ever before.

_(Sigh!) I hope that things don't come to the point where nothing we do ends up changing anything._

Getting up from his perch, _That's it. It's high time I got down to getting things done myself,_ mind set on training with his father, whether the latter liked it or not, the young saiyan clenched his fists before heading over to the staircase that would subsequently lead him to his destination.

_Goku, I pray that whatever it is you're planning comes through in the end._

His gaze hardening, the student of Son Gohan left satisfying steps in his wake as the stairs creaked underneath him… unshakable faith in the father of his teacher proving to inspire courage deep within him.

_Because… as I am now, I'm of no use to you in this fight._

* * *

**Elsewhere –**

Flicking a pebble across the glassy lake for the umpteenth time, the tall male frowned deeply as a young robin perched it's tiny frame upon his right knee.

"…"

Turning a curious head towards it's host, the bird kept an inquisitive stare fixated upon equally dark pools… that gave off as cold a glare as possible.

**Tweet! Tweet!**

"Stupid thing," the annoyed saiyan mumbled before removing his eyes from the worthless creature.

_Ignorance is bliss as long as I'm here I suppose,_ he later added.

It was true that his stay upon the blue planet had been a hastily decided affair... but for Broly, things were finally beginning to calm down a notch.

His mind had managed to ease by a considerable amount in the past few days. The nightmares involving his dastardly parent had also stopped occurring in recent days… possibly due to him being in the midst of what many earthlings referred to as a 'family'.

_Kakarot… I'm finding it really hard to understand you right now. You give me a home and act as if I hadn't tried to once be the cause of both, your **and** your son's, deaths. Just how do you do it?_

Getting up with an inaudible grunt, the man raised both of his arms up and above his head... feeling quite a few bones pop themselves back to life as he did so.

_Aah… simply sitting around isn't going to help me pass time anymore. I need to get my body moving again._

Looking around and finding an orange hue covering most of the flora and fauna that surrounded him, the famished saiyan sighed before making his way over to his sworn enemy's humble dwelling.

_So that's what a sunset looks like,_ he inwardly mused with apparent disinterest, easy-paced footfalls against the soft grass being an almost foreign experience for one such as him.

_Though, that harpy still owes me a meal for not having blown up both her **and** her house till now._

Letting out an amused chortle as he imagined the earth woman's terrified face, the self-proclaimed sadist soon halted the sounds of his mirth.

"..."_ Speak of the devil._

...

"Heya Broly! Where were you? I've been looking for you all day ya know!"

The overtly cheery voice of the shorter saiyan pierced the innermost crevices of his eardrums like nothing he had ever come across before.

_Curse him to hell… the very bottom of it,_ he mumbled with irritation, somehow managing to keep his expression neutral throughout.

"What's it to you Kakarot? Where I go and what I do is of no concern to you **or** your brat."

Unfazed by his guest's snappy response, Goku merely grinned back, "Oh... okay then, Hehehe!" before leading the way to his home, both arms at the back of his head as a merry tune akin to a whistle escaped his lips.

_Good,_ he mentally rejoiced, mind completely aware of the man walking behind him, _he's not **as **mad as I thought he would be. This might just work out after all._

* * *

**The Son home –**

Entering the confines of the cozy house, Broly glanced towards his rival before stating the question he never thought he would ask. Ever.

"Kakarot."

Goku promptly offered all of his attention to the long-haired warrior on a silver platter. Not literally, of course.

"Huh? What's up Broly?"

Eye twitching comically, much like a certain prince's would, the taller man grumbled slightly before speaking; innate shame at not having **the** most perfect ki sense coming up and onto the surface for a brief while, "Where's your brat?"

Scratching the back of his head with a thoughtful look about him, the ever-cheerful hero at last chuckled merrily before replying… much to his compatriot's relief and slight disdain.

"Oh! Hehe, I left him at Dende's place. They're both around the same age so I figured that they would enjoy each others company. Especially with how things are, around here, ya know?"

Broly merely shook his head in response and, folding both of his arms, gazed off into the distance... mind feeling strangely relieved for some reason.

"Hm. I see."_ Figures._

Soon adopting a sheepish expression, the proud father then added, "Poor kid, I know just how much he wanted to hang out with you too."

"!" _Say what?!_

"Come again?" _Kakarot's spawn wanted to spend time… with me?_

Goku, realizing that he had said too much, simply rubbed the back of his neck nervously before dashing off to grab a seat at the dinner table. _Whew! I'd better not get too casual with him or he'll **really** get mad at me!_

* * *

**Meanwhile -**

_At long last… I have completed my training._

Placing a hand upon the frame of the mystical room's door, Piccolo let out a satisfied grunt before making his way out.

_Hm, the gravity hardly makes a difference now,_ he silently observed, mind calm as ever as he fully emerged from the ever-reliable 'Hyperbolic Time Chamber'.

Frowning after having clenched both of his raised fists, the super namek sighed softly before letting the curtains of his vision droop shut. _This is bad. I was so confident that things had... changed._

The warrior was obviously referring to his 'less-than-beneficial' second trip to the dimensional enclosure.

Shaking his head as he felt a negative aura envelope his frame, Piccolo promptly headed over to his favored spot and tried to meditate.

_I must, at the very least, sharpen my mind as much as possible,_ he innately thought, brow tense as his arms and legs remained crossed; body levitating in mid-air, _My physical skills alone won't matter in a situation such as this._

It was no surprise then, for the mentally worried namekian, that his meditation had lost its 'much-needed' edge; innate concerns, which revolved around his comrades, being the primary cause.

_I know that, compared to the saiyans, the rest of us will be nothing more than mere playthings for Cell._

Clenching his jaw as his power began to surge in response, Piccolo eased his growing anxiety by inhaling the cool air of the lookout.

_No. Things like that don't matter anymore. What **does** matter is the fact that none of us are going to leave this battle unscathed._

...

Using the abilities of his better half, the once evil being broadened his senses and watched the inhabitants of the little blue planet from his stationary position; previously cold heart adopting genuine concern for the earthlings in question.

As much as he'd like to deny it.

The realization that the Z Fighters were going to suffer deep (and perhaps even 'traumatic)' scars from the upcoming Cell Games… along with the rest of the innocents that inhabited their home planet, made the ex-guardian inwardly cringe.

"..."

Glancing briefly towards the small room, a few feet behind him, that housed his dozing pupil and best friend, the experienced warrior sighed softly as his thoughts began to shift towards the safety of the young half-saiyan.

_Gohan, you… are still far too young to face such a threat. Forgive me kid, but I'm afraid that I cannot protect you this time around._

Trusting that Dende, who was still patrolling the edge of the lookout, would take care of any of the boy's immediate needs (whilst providing him with some good company), the tall namek returned to his focused meditation.

_Goku… for Gohan's sake, I shall keep my faith in your decision intact. No matter how foolish of an idea that may turn out to be._

* * *

**Back with the Son's (and their 'guest') - **

Having finished with her duties, heart still highly concerned about the safety of her baby boy, Chi-Chi sighed before moving to spread the sheets over and across her and her husband's modest bed.

The very same bed that they had shared from the day of their marriage till the present; events ranging from the arrival of her 'brother-in-law' to the heart disease that had plagued her spouse not taken into consideration… unsurprisingly enough.

_My poor Gohan. I don't care **what** Goku has going through his head but my baby shouldn't have to fight his father's battles!_

Glaring at the family photo that rested upon her dresser, the miffed woman kept her eyes locked upon the ever-smiling face of her good-natured husband… finally finding her own heart start to calm by a large amount due to the latter.

_Ohhh… that man and his smile._

Reluctantly letting loose a small smile, the Son mother sighed in defeat at last.

_Alright, I see how it is. You want him to follow your heroic footsteps don't you? So that he can be the man that I want him to be while still being the fighter that **you** want him to grow up into. Hmph._

Her dark orbs landed once more upon her beloved's grinning mug, former adopting a mysterious glean within them as her cheeks flushed pink. _Well, I guess I could live with that… if it's for the best._

The woman promptly finished her work before making her way downstairs.

_But first, you and I have some 'catching up' to do mister._

* * *

**Downstairs –**

Sharing dinner with someone such as Kakarot, and that too when he himself was utterly famished to the core, was something Broly was beginning to wish he had never attempted.

_An empty belly,_ he innately growled, vein throbbing by the side of his forehead as his fellow saiyan chugged down his own meal... effortlessly, _and **this** idiot for company. What could possibly top this moment?_

...

"Goku? Are you finished with dinner sweetie?"

_There it is,_ the man snorted in as cynical a manner as possible._ Right on schedule._

Looking up from his feast once the sound of his wife's call had reached his ear, Goku swallowed his present mouthful before replying to the former's call, "Yep! That was as delicious as ever Chi-Chi!"

Burying his face within an open palm, elbow resting upon the table, Broly simply groaned with a pensive look in his eye, "You don't say."

Ignoring the taller man's sarcasm, the Son matriarch merely smiled back at her husband before proceeding to remove the dirty dishes from the table in question. _How rude can one even get? He's lucky that I'm in a good mood today, hmph!_

...

Turning back to her hubby, once all of the used up crockery had been properly placed within the overflowing kitchen sink, Chi-Chi moved to grab the confused man's large hand… her own two hands guiding said male up the stairs without a word from her end.

"Chi? What's up? Are we gonna go to sleep already?" Goku innocently inquired, eyes puzzled at his wife's strange actions.

Only sending a nod his way in response, the ox-princess giggled softly before gazing into the clueless saiyan's eyes… adoration shining brightly within hers.

_What's the matter with her today? Why's she lookin' at me that way?_ a highly oblivious and righteously flustered Goku wondered, his mind failing to connect the dots.

He had, however, noticed that the female had an oddly serene smile adorning her round face. Her beautiful onyx orbs were also carrying a strange gleam within them.

_Chi-Chi… she looks so nice right now. Just like that time- oh…_

He had hit the nail on the head at last.

…

Looking over his shoulder to wish his still seated rival a cheerful goodnight, the suddenly perky Z Fighter followed his wife up the stairs and into the confines of their bedroom without further question.

_Hehehe, I like it whenever Chi-Chi wants to do this. It's kinda fun._

* * *

**With Broly –**

Having quietly watched the way Kakarot's mate had guided the former up the stairs, easy-going flair in relation to said saiyan quite visible to his sharp eyes, the man narrowed his cold gaze in apparent confusion… having not quite understood just what had occurred out of the blue.

_Okay, what the **hell** was all that about?_

Not receiving an answer to his query, Broly simply waited for a short while before getting up; irate grumble escaping his immediate control. _Stupid earthling customs._

It didn't take long after that for the man to exit the small house and head out to set up camp in the nearby woods. Only the occasional hoot from the trees and croak from the motionless lake greeted his arrival.

"One more night in that accursed room and I'll surely die of boredom", he silently mumbled to no-one in particular, birds being far too sleepy to bother with him or his bad mood.

Making a makeshift bed out of some spare blankets and an old mattress, much to his chagrin, Broly at last settled down for the night… right forearm placed across his forehead as the other rested upon his torso.

_Phew! Never thought I'd make it through the day to be fair,_ his musings continued, cause being the fact that his mind had been left with far too many things floating in and around it... something that he hadn't 'quite' been accustomed to in the past.

_And why the hell did I even care to ask where Kakarot's brat was? It's not like I even give a damn what that blasted kid does._

Shaking his mind free of all such unnecessary concerns, the dark-haired male 'hmphed' in penultimate defiance and turned over to his left to try and catch onto some sleep for the night.

_I hate you even more for this now Kakarot. Oh yes._

...

An abrupt change in the air suddenly brought Broly's senses onto full alert once again, sensitive ears keen to pick up on any and all sounds that floated around him; ki sense also working on overdrive.

"…!" _What the f-?!_

The passionate sounds of the young couple getting intimate with one another had been the culprit it would seem… fluctuating ki of the 'male half' being the primary cause for the sleepy saiyan's mental discomfort.

And subsequent chagrin.

Grumbling louder than ever before, Broly nearly roared out his annoyance to the cool night air… before deciding to simply ride it through and hope that the nuisance (along with the 'sounds' that had arisen due to it) wouldn't last for more than an hour at the most.

The **very** most.

_Damn this mud-ball to hell. I'll blow it up for sure once I finish off that Cell **and** Kakarot!_

Needless to say, the beleaguered male's luck wasn't favoring him for the duration of the night that the Son couple made love.

**[Countdown: 4 days to go]**

* * *

**AN: I'm extremely sorry for the '6 week long' delay folks. My most recent trip to the country of my birth, alongside reunions with an overly large group of relatives (mostly my cousins), is to be blamed. ^^'**

**Anyways, the reviews that I have received most recently (from 'Kutasan', 'Wavern', 'kazikamikaze24' and 'Flamefather') have made me return to my best (if it can be called that, LOL!) and I hope to be more regular in relation to updates once again.**

**Until 'Chapter VIII' then!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter VIII: Discoveries galore

**Disclaimer: 'Dragon Ball' as such, is not owned by me. Period.**

**AN: I'd like to personally thank 'supervegeta778', 'Wavern', 'XYZ', 'Kutasan' and 'Vic Mignogna' for their kind reviews in relation to the previous chappie. I truly admired the honesty that they put forth through their words.**

**I'm sure that some of you are growing a tad bit impatient with the pace at which things have been progressing. **

**All I can say in response (to that) is...**

** "Kindly hold onto your seats for now. Reason being that every time I start to rush things, they get far too poor… quality-wise."**

**There now, I hope that shall suffice!**

**Yosh, let us begin then –**

* * *

"Good heavens! What do we have here?!" _This is..._

"...?"

Letting the pencil stub fall from her pursed lips, an obviously overworked Bulma Brief glanced over to where her genius father stood; eyebrow quirked upwards in slight interest and mild concern as she did so. _Hm? What's he so worked up about?_

Leaving the desk that she had previously been working upon, the bluenette made sure to fold the stack of blueprints, that involved a certain android, neatly before asking the all-important question; latter kept aside safely before her attempt.

"What's up dad?"

"..."

Wiping the sweat from his brow; tiny napkin always present within his coat pocket to be used at a moment's notice, Dr. Brief sighed deeply to calm his nerves before adopting a solemn tone.

"My dear, it seems that Dr. Gero was far more crafty than we had previously assumed. This…" the aged scientist pointed towards the half-open torso of the ginger-haired android, "… is the most extraordinary case of 'suicidal cybernetics' that I have ever seen."

"…" _Say **what** now?_

Left thoroughly puzzled by her father's statement, Bulma sauntered over to where he stood, both eyes narrowed, before stating her confusion to the man.

"But… what do you mean dad? Is 16's design **really** all that different compared to 17's and 18's?"

Stroking his chin with both eyes shut tight, the worried inventor glanced over at the incapacitated android before letting out a small sigh in agreement.

"I'm... afraid so."

Sporting an even more confused expression upon her attractive face, Bulma moved to respond before her father's next statement managed to silence her with an impressive finality.

"16… is the unfortunate carrier of a bomb that would make even the most powerful nuclear warhead seem like a mere catherine wheel."

"…!" _Uh... hm._

Silence enveloped the laboratory for the next 5 minutes.

Neither father nor daughter let a single breath escape their respective lips during the above mentioned period. Such was the gravity of their predicament and the situation in general that they nearly forgot about the task that they had undertaken before that point.

"!" _What am I doing? I should be thinking a way **around** this problem by now!_

"Dad. Just how can you be so sure about all this? Surely Dr. Gero couldn't have developed such a dangerous weapon out of thin air?"

Getting back to his work upon the comatose cyborg, Dr. Brief stroked the furry head of his little feline assistant before replying, "Well, if my calculations are to be trusted, the neutron readings around **this** particular area…"

The man rested a sole finger upon the region that would have been the tall cybernetic creation's 'heart' before ploughing on.

"… are abnormally large and seem to be enclosed around an alloy that, more or less, serves as the outer layer of the bomb itself." _How did he accomplish such brilliance in the name of world domination alone? (Sigh) If only he had used his genius for the betterment of humankind…_

* * *

Unbeknownst to the Capsule Corp. founder and his flabbergasted offspring, a lavender-haired visitor from the future had just then decided to enter their lab's domain… eyes as wide as could be as his ears soaked in every word that had been uttered.

"…" _I knew it. So __**that's**__ why Krillin didn't find 16's blueprints at that evil bastard's lab. He definitely never intended on anyone finding out about all of his inhumane experiments._

"...?"

Feeling a presence behind her back, Bulma whipped her head in the direction of the newcomer before letting out a surprised gasp, "Trunks! Y-You heard-?"

Choosing to simply nod his head in reply, the young man frowned slightly before addressing his grandfather, "So what do you plan on doing now? If that bomb is somehow set off in future, the sheer devastation that'll follow is something I just don't wanna think about." _As if we don't have enough problems already. __**This**__ one pops up out of the blue when we least need it._

Understanding the fact that a decision would have to be taken, right then and there, the genius head of Capsule Corp. folded his arms before responding to his grandson's query. _Alright then, I suppose it __**is**__ time that I took care of this little issue once and for all._

"Well for now, I think it would be wise to let our friend here **keep** this little firecracker within his torso. Undisturbed."

"!"

Trunks and Bulma only had a single thought racing across their psyche right then. _Is he nuts?!_

Raising a composed hand to calm both of his successors in tandem, the inventor promptly continued with his proposal.

"Seeing as it was originally intended to be used against Goku, I do not see the problem in letting it be utilized against someone like Cell… should the requirement ever arise."

...

Allowing the intriguing scenario to play out within their respective minds, both, mother and son, found the idea to be of a 60-40 ratio. Atleast, as far as the 'fine line' between success and utter failure was concerned.

Bulma, obviously reluctant, albeit on a more practical basis, promptly chose to speak her mind at that point, "Dad, I hope you know what you're doing. The repercussions of your decision can go both ways you know."

Nodding in plumb reassurance, Dr. Brief smiled gently to let his worried child know that the delicate situation would be kept well under control… atleast from his end.

"Do not fret my dear. I promise that, should this risky gamble get out of hand, you alone will be the one to have the final say regarding it."

…

Swallowing the tension that had risen up along his throat, Trunks merely kept his head steady as things played themselves out in front of his concerned eyes, _Great, yet __**another**__ thing that I need to take care of in my timeline. When will it end? _knowing that any sort of suggestion from his side would undoubtedly be considered…

… but then subsequently shot down.

* * *

**Outside the lab –**

"…"

Keeping his scowl in place, the flame-haired male let out a bored grunt before taking strong steps in the direction of his precious 'Gravity Chamber'; previous conversation, that he had **willingly** overheard, falling back into the deepest recesses of his cunning mind as an intriguing plot developed within.

_Hmm… interesting. That bucket of bolts could prove valuable after all._

Mind set on 'upping the ante' with his training, the mentally focused prince cracked his knuckles, an eager grin growing across his lips as a mysterious gleam shone within his dark orbs.

_Hmph, it's about time that I took it to the next level. Not that Kakarot's going to rest easy in the meantime._

* * *

**Inside the chamber –**

Solitude.

Serenity.

Privacy.

The above three almost always left him… 'calmer' than before. Not entirely, but upto a sufficient degree at the very least.

The sheer vastness of the metallic chamber also made his blood race sometimes. It caused his eyes to narrow and pulse quicken with unbridled anticipation whenever he would lay his gaze upon it from an outward perspective.

Indeed, Vegeta was deeply indebted to his wife's genius father… for having built the spacious room to be used for his personal aspirations and goals.

_The old man really outdid himself with this one. It's far better equipped than the last one at least. That blasted version __**really**__ got on my nerves with its ridiculous limitations and faulty controls._

"..."

Typing in the code that would allow him to access the inner sanctums of his 'happy place', the saiyan prince seemingly ignored the computerized voice that greeted him.

**- "Good day Prince Vegeta. What level of gravity would you like to breach today?" -**

"Hmph." _If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the damn thing was actually 'mocking' my lack of progress._

Shaking off the minor distraction by keeping mum, the determined male made his way over towards the small room onto his right, fists clenched and kept at his sides as he did so. _I suppose_ _a change of clothes is in order. I simply cannot afford to train in these ridiculous earthling outfits..._

Frowning, as a recent (but not quite 'pleasant') memory popped up within his head, he mentally added, tone being of the resolute type... _a__t __**any**__ cost._

…

Having gotten dressed into his spandex outfit in double-quick time, Vegeta proceeded to get his warm-ups underway, mind constantly reminding him of the fact that he had yet to reach that stage of true 'ascension' as such.

_Soon. Very soon __**I**__, Vegeta, shall be the one to claim the right over that level of power and might. Only me._

A confident smirk adorned the man's face at that point, _Yes. It will be I who defeats Cell and reclaims the rightful position of the strongest warrior in all of existence! _

Letting an abrupt sourness overcome his features, the proud saiyan soon let his thoughts take on a much darker route.

_Not even that __**Kakarot**__ can hope to halt my climb to the top this time! Not while I still have a single breath left within this body of mine! YES!_

"…!"

Such was the raw adrenaline pumping through his body and mind, that his above mentioned (tense) mindset eventually turned out to be the unlikely 'catalyst' for his transformation into the very first stage of Super Saiyan.

**BAUM!**

* * *

"…"

Lifting both of his hands up to eye-level, Vegeta browsed over the sheer power flowing through his fingertips… as a whole; fingers being clenched and relaxed as his eyes scanned over every fine detail in relation to his appendages.

It left him quite baffled how, today, his ki felt 'different' to him. The experience was, frankly put, new to one such as him.

_Strange. Even at 300x normal gravity I shouldn't be feeling such a strain upon my limbs. Why is my transformed state feeling like such a burden all of a sudden?_

Having no one around to answer his queries for him, Vegeta shrugged off his inner doubts before proceeding to power up even further.

_Alright then, it's time to see if I can indeed push myself past the 1__st__ and 2__nd__ stages of my ascension... for a second time._

…

The target for the overtly determined prince was simply as follows...

Power up to the very maximum and try to see if the act put any undue strain upon his body… or mind.

Then try to maintain that level for as long as possible.

In spite of knowing quite well that even the 1st stage (or Super Saiyan 'Grade 2') would prove to be a huge challenge… particularly for him since his body size made having any sort of excess muscle mass quite a task in itself.

That, in short, was his initial plan that would eventually lead him onto the road to true ascension (as he put it).

An all-important path, which was supposed to end with him discovering the 5th stage of the Super Saiyan transformation (Goku's 'Full Power Super Saiyan' form being the de-facto number **4** in the line).

_Hmph, that Kakarot may have discovered the simplest solution to counter the core problem regarding the legendary transformation. But it is __**I**__ who shall be the one to push that idea even further. Even beyond what that clown can even fathom!_

Now… Vegeta was certainly no fool when it came to things such as battle tactics and strategy. It would, undoubtedly, only be a matter of time before his sheer intellect and unquestionable experience upon the battlefield would bring forth adequate results for him.

"Grrr… I **must** succeed this time. It's imperative that I concentrate harder than before or else-"

Getting into a suitable stance, knees slightly bent as his torso leaned forward, Vegeta soon found powering up to be even more of a chore than he had ever thought possible. _What the-?_

"URRRGGGHHH…!" _I feel like I weight a ton! Is the damn machine broken already?!_

Unfortunately for the prince, that would only prove to be the start of his immediate troubles.

...

"**Whizz! Whizz! Brrr!"**

"Eh?" _Are those-?_

**- "Lvl 1 Attack Bots activated" -**

"...!" _When did I give the command for-?_

"Computer! Cancel that comm-!"

**ZZAAAAP!**

* * *

Ducking under a photon blast that, under the present 'gravity induced' circumstances, would've instantly deep-fried an average human, Vegeta simply clenched his teeth before turning around to face the other two humming nuisances.

_Well, I guess powering up will have to wait for now. Time for __**me**__…_

Arm at the ready, the saiyan scowled slightly before aiming at the more annoying looking of the two… _to blow off some steam._

"Take this!"

**BLAAAAM!**

Having held back a considerable amount of his destructive power, the male was rightfully satisfied to see the immediate results of his attack. _Beautiful. That hit its mark quite well._

Landing his gaze upon the other bot, the very first one hovering right behind him, the flame-haired warrior smirked in amusement before leaping up and into the air; eyes locked onto the former of the two as a predatory gleam shone across them. _This is simply too easy for me._

A half-decent amount of force gathered within his enclosed fist, the prince of all saiyans swiftly disposed of his hapless target before using his superior speed to appear in front of the very first bot that had dared to attack him.

"Begone."

"**Beep! Boop! Brrr-!"**

**ZZAASH! **

A simple right chop, that sliced right across the unfortunate robots interface, was all that it took. _Either their coatings gotten rusty... or I'm just that much stronger than before._

Satisfied with his little exercise, the man promptly powered down to base before flexing his shoulders for a bit. _Alright, back to work then._

...

Furrowing his brow, Vegeta let loose all of his innate frustration and rage... mind trying to harness his body's ability to surpass all limitations to the max.

_Yes… that's it. Almost there._

**VOOOOM!**

A brilliant flash of yellow… and the mighty saiyan had transformed into the very 1st stage of super saiyan.

_Perfect. It seems that the effort needed is a lot lower than the last time. Not that it was too long ago that I attempted it._

Flexing his defined muscles further, the male grunted and growled as sparks of static bio-electricity shot forth from the surface of his pulsating torso; vein bulging dangerously near his temple as the temperature within the chamber abruptly rose by a few degrees.

"Urgh…! Graaaa! HAAAA!"

**FOOOOM!**

* * *

For the first time since his humiliating defeat at the hands of Cell, Vegeta had unleashed his ascended super saiyan form in all of its glory. Flashes of the brightest yellow shooting in all directions as heavy pants escaped his agape mouth, making him stagger… albeit slightly.

"(Pant!) That's the way… (pant!) yes, that **is** the way it should be." _I've done it again. Now… for the final touch. _

Narrowing his eyes, muscles and body tissue aching like never before, the physically exhausted saiyan kept up with the output of raw ki as his aura flared out even further, effectively making the room turn pure blonde in an instant.

"Hnn! HAAAA!" _I know that it is foolish to attempt this form. But I must know all of my limits beforehand! It's the only way!_

Clenching his fists till they bled, Vegeta ignored the droplets of crimson liquid that escaped his enclosed hands, mind far too focused on drawing out all of his innate, latent power.

Through sheer 'brute force' if necessary.

_Almost… there… gah...!_

Shoulders vibrating dangerously, forearms turning into mounds of massive muscle, thighs stretching apart painfully, chest expanding to support all of the excess mass…

… it definitely did **not** take long for a mentally-prepared Vegeta to unleash the 3rd stage of his super saiyan form that day.

Not that it was a 'pain-free' process mind you.

"A-Aarh! Hrraaa! Finally…! Ha...! Ha...!" _Success._

...

Standing up to his full height and observing his monstrous physical change with righteous scrutiny, Vegeta scoffed at the sheer stupidity at work.

"Bah! Just what am I even supposed to do in this useless state?" _No wonder that someone such as Kakarot came up with that novel idea when he did._

Promptly moving his fingers across his bicep and exploring the rest of his huge left arm, the prince shook his head in disappointment once more.

"Forget movement, just 'maintaining' this form for 10 simple minutes is going to prove troublesome. What a complete and utter waste of energy."

Having expended most of his reserves already, the flame-haired male immediately released his hold over the state, body shrinking down by a good way as his aura calmed… and eventually dissipated into nothingness; hair and eyebrows returning to their natural black color, emerald eyes into onyx.

_Phew! That took long enough… hmph._

Glaring at both of his open palms before snorting at the bloody smudges adorning them both, Vegeta soon turned on his heel and marched straight towards a much-needed shower.

_Anything to make me forget about that last__ attempt. _

Recalling how his rival had confidently declared his superiority over him upon the lookout, a few days ago, the furious prince nearly slammed a fist upon the 'delicate' metal wall that coated his precious gravity room's interior.

_Grrr, I can't **believe** how foolish I was! Pursuing such a fruitless idea of ascension when even that clown could manage it so easily!_

Just the mere 'thought' of Goku (as well as Gohan) achieving something he himself could not, or was unable to, made Vegeta absolutely livid from head to toe. It made his saiyan blood boil with the hunger to compete… to prove to his opponents and adversaries that he was **as** good, if not better, than they were.

* * *

Truly, the situation was such that the mighty warrior's patience had worn thin (again!) and he had successfully reached that point where his level of desperation had started to peak (once again).

_Darn that Cell! If only… if only I had more time at hand. I'd show him what fighting a __**true**__ saiyan feels like!_

Sighing after what felt like a long while, the mentally tired man finally chose to call it a day, mind inwardly knowing that it would be futile to attempt another round of exertion, seeing as he had reached a blockade of sorts... yet again.

In short, simply wasting away all of his energy, in one more training session, was most certainly out of the question.

_Hmph, I've hit yet another blasted wall in my path towards greater strength. How convenient._

Sarcasm dripping past every syllable, Vegeta soon found his mood begin to sour by a good margin; eyes as cold as ever as he turned off the machine that regularly helped him to overcome his limits.

_It won't serve me well at this rate. I've got to get that woman to make a better one soon. One that alters the training field slightly and has some sort of simulation built-in. Hmm... that actually sounds good._

...

The seemingly unsurpassable wall that blocked the proud prince's march towards 'true ascension' had definitely thinned in recent times… yet it still remained as tall a climb as ever.

Definitely still a problem for the man in question.

Smirking to himself as an amusing thought crossed his mind, Vegeta finally exited the dark room; single hand wiping at the trail of blood that had managed to trickle past the corner of his mouth, courtesy of his prior scuffle against certain mechanical opponents.

_No matter. In the end, I shall be the one standing all the way at the front, challenging that artificial freak of nature to a rematch._

Lifting an enclosed fist up to his eye-level, prior dissatisfaction at a 'less-than-fruitful' training session long forgotten, the determined ruler of all saiyans made a resolute declaration…

"Just you wait Cell. I'll **avenge** my honor that you tarnished and then, I'll tear you apart limb from limb. Count on it."

…

Needless to say, Vegeta found himself visiting the gravity room once again that day… although much later in the evening.

Post lunch... and at a time when he could ponder over his present predicament in peace; innate desire to surpass Goku, and eventually Cell, pushing him on as he toiled like a man possessed by an otherworldly force.

* * *

**Several miles away, by a calm waterfall - **

"…"

_Is that it?_

Eyebrow quirked upwards in mild amusement (and a decent amount of boredom), the tall male uncrossed his arms before flying over to the spot that he had been told of.

_Heh, Kakarot's pathetic spawn turned out to be __**useful**__ for once._

Said spot was the one which Piccolo 'himself' often used to meditate by… with his young pupil regularly paying him visits whenever possible AKA whenever his mother wasn't breathing down his tiny neck, ordering him to focus upon his studies and such.

Looking around the area once more, Broly sighed, feeling his head start to throb slightly. _Great, this'll do._

Adopting a sitting position, both legs crossed as his hands covered both of his respective knee caps, the saiyan soon found his cluttered mind beginning to clear. _Aah… my head felt like it was gonna 'burst' a short while ago. This feels great._

Hearing the calming sound of gushing liquid falling all around his stationary frame, the warrior felt his ears grow numb from all that his current surroundings had to offer.

It was a stark contrast to all that he had seen, heard and lived by… for most of his developing years and adult life. The chirping of the birds, which he had found to be highly annoying and irritating before, seemed to be growing on him as well.

_Damn, this planet will make me soft and vulnerable well __**before**__ I get to lay my hands on that infernal Cell._

Grinding his teeth due to his ever-rising impatience, mind not quite accustomed to spending several hours in frozen meditation, Broly at last opened his eyes wide; arms still in their prior positions as before. _Alright then… that should do it._

Getting up from his position, the 'now relieved' man took a good look at his hands before letting his ki burst into life, mouth starting to move as he did so, "Hm, if I remember right, it used to hurt to do this before."

Observing how his aura flared outwards, green hue enveloping his entire form as he did so, Broly smirked slightly at the improvement that he saw.

_Hehe. Well now, who knew that a couple of days of sitting still would do that for ya._

Finding a gradual change occur in his immediate mood, he then hopped down and onto the soft grass in front of him… before thinking further, _All things considered, transforming into __**that**__, again, is definitely out of the question… if I wanna have some real fun._

…

Having successfully gotten his intended job done and dealt with, the man cracked his sore knuckles before pondering over something that had been bothering him for quite some time.

_Come to think of it, I think that I've also gotten quite used to that idiot's presence around me as well._

"…"

_What the hell's gotten into me?! When did I actually start 'tolerating' that bastard's existence?_

Scratching his head, innate frustration 'more-than-visible' to anyone bothering to look, the puzzled male thought it wise to take a break by the riverbed.

_I bet his harpy poisoned my food. Yeah… that has __**got**__ to be it!_

* * *

**A few 'tense' minutes later - **

Having calmed down considerably, all things considered, the mentally confused saiyan laid back down onto the cool grass... back allowing the gentle blades to rub against the former in tandem, as the sweet scent of raw nature wafted up his receptive nose.

Unsurprisingly, it did not take long for the semi-dozing man's customary musings to follow suit.

"If this place didn't have this much of relaxing stuff to offer (Yawn!)… I'd have probably blown it all up out of sheer boredom... long back."

For one such as Broly, that would certainly have been an understatement at that stage.

"…!" _Wha-?_

Springing up into a sitting position, head whipping towards his right, the reluctant ally of the 'even more' reluctant Z Fighters felt his eyes widen in sheer and utter disbelief.

He truly could **not** feel the need to even move at that point it would seem.

"…" _This distinct ki, I'm sure it's that guy, Cell._

Further concentration upon his target at that moment provided even more shocking results for the legendary warrior… literally catching him off-guard yet again.

_What?! Why is his power different from before? _

Dark orbs narrowing dangerously at the startling discovery, Broly clenched his jaw tight as the genuine tension in his psyche rose…

… from his frozen gut, all the way upto his flustered brain.

_Is the asshole actually training too?_

**[Countdown: 2 days to go]**

* * *

**AN: Yep, there you have it.**

**No questions this time around it would seem. **

**Well, no biggie… at the very least I got some awesome reviews instead, LOL!**

**On a different note, the next chapter will be the 'last' of this collection (that deals with the thoughts and feelings of all the Z Fighters) folks. **

**Then… the REAL battle shall begin! :D**

**Ta-ta!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter IX: Impatience... topped off with mental stasis

**Disclaimer: 'Dragon Ball' is a property that has been created and is owned by Akira Toriyama-sensei, Shueisha, Toei Animation and Fuji Tv respectively.**

**AN: I'm extremely grateful for all of the positivity that has been sent my way via reviews (by some gr8 people no less!) and I hope that all of my future updates manage to live up to the previous standards set.**

**I understand that chapter 9 wasn't as well thought out as it could've been but hopefully this one will prove to be more 'content-filled' in nature. (ie; Lots more 'Broly-ness' to go around!)**

**Here we go!**

* * *

**By a desolate wasteland, far away from any type of populace –**

An eerie silence had overtaken this place ever since a certain creature had paid a visit to the former... bringing with it a message that promised pure carnage and despair should the right time arrive.

...

Both arms crossed, gaze hardened and mind feeling utterly stressed out… the living abomination, Cell, was feeling out of sorts yet again. The culprit, for his present state of mind, being the same as before… unsurprisingly enough.

_Darn. How am I supposed to get rid of this strange feeling of unease?_

Brows furrowed, the tall bio-android promptly glared towards his left and at a pile of large rocks… mind not as calm as it usually was.

_Hmph._

*Ping!*

**BLAAAAM!**

…

_Much better. It was proving to be quite an eyesore anyway._

Lowering his outstretched finger, Cell muddled over his prior thoughts once more.

_Even if this new fighter proves to be a good match, why does my mind keep worrying over that minuscule fact? It's not like anything that exists upon this godforsaken rock can __**ever**__ threaten the likes of me. _

Staring at the naked ground beneath his feet, the ultimate cybernetic creation quirked an eyebrow in mild doubt… as if doing so for the very first time in the entirety of his existence.

"No matter. At least I can expect a great show from the 'all-powerful' Son Goku in the meantime." _I'll worry about this mysterious stranger when the time comes. No point in letting my mind get cluttered with unnecessary concerns._

A sinister smirk grew across the evil being's lips as he glanced at the arena that he, himself, had created, several days back... confidence returning in full flow as he did so.

_And that too a mere day before the __**real**__ fun and games begin. Hmhmhm._

* * *

Looking once more towards his left at the scattered debris that littered the area that he had previously extinguished, Cell soon frowned as another thought took form within his sharp brain.

It was an acute observation that he had, somehow, managed to completely overlook.

_I can't help but wonder though… just who __**is**__ this new fighter? Apart from Goku and those hapless idiots, there simply didn't seem to be **any** creature worthy of my time upon this mud-ball of a planet up until now._

Patience starting to wear thin and innate instincts for battle growing increasingly anxious to face the new challenge (courtesy of his inherent saiyan genes), the monstrously powerful being clenched a single fist before proceeding to spar for a while… with a swiftly created clone.

...

_Where did this one even come from though? Surely Goku knows… or perhaps Piccolo. Either way I'll have to __**force**__ the answer out from the both of them when the time comes._

A sweeping kick across the torso of his mirror image and Cell had already managed to land the first blow upon his self-created opponent.

_Now then, back to work. _

...

Having enjoyed the short burst of exertion, not that it would have even made him break a sweat, Dr. Gero's dream then dispelled it's clone before observing the recent inflow of astute progress.

_There's certainly no need for me to even train at this point. Hmhm, the past couple of days have fine-tuned my senses to far sharper levels than those belonging to even the most trained martial artist!_

Recalling the names and abilities of all of his upcoming opponents via a highly advanced (in-built) data bank, the utterly invincible warrior felt a grin slowly grow across his lips, _It's a shame really. The many years of their training shall be put to complete waste once I begin to unleash my superiority over their pitiful skills._

"..."

Correcting his prior statement, Cell let loose a even more devious smirk.

_Well, aside from the saiyans that is. I'm quite sure that they'll have __**some**__ new strategy up their sleeves… if they wish to avoid certain defeat that is. _

Basking in the aura of his superior power over the defenders of the Earth, Cell soon recalled a certain factor that he had only just noticed in recent times.

"But then, this stranger's ki alone seems to be more potent than Trunks and Vegeta's put together. Hmm…" _Maybe, a change of plans is in order..._

* * *

**Quite close to a waterfall, at the very edge of Mount Paozu –**

"…" _Heh, this is harder than I thought._

Having meditated with all of his mental might, whilst searching the innermost depths of his subconscious for the humongous source of his power, the raven-haired saiyan frowned and then smirked as the task alone proved to be well beyond his current level.

_C'mon... C'mon! I don't have time to idle around!_

A low growl escaped his control as he thought the above; discovery that he had made the day prior still fresh as a daisy within his mind.

_Like I could even forget __**that**__ little detail._

It had been oddly unsettling for him to discover that his upcoming opponent had been busy with training of his own. _Whatever this feeling is, I definitely don't like it._

...

Having remained in a disciplined (and rock-steady) position for several minutes, Broly once again began to grow impatient… mind feeling as if being squeezed from all sides as the sheer amount of focus put upon it began to prove, in short, 'hazardous' in nature.

"…!" _Found it!_

He had done it at last.

Days of forced patience had finally paid off for the man. His excruciating journey having finally born fruit.

"..."_ This... this is..._

Truly, the sheer experience of knowing where all of your power originated from. Of knowing just how your ki grew and expanded over time… in a place deep within your physical body, was simply an altogether different feeling in itself.

_All of this energy. This… This huge power. Is it… Is it all mine? Mine alone?_

Left thoroughly perplexed (and impressed) by what he could feel and experience, Broly soon felt his mind begin to ease… as a foreign serenity began to envelope him from all sides.

...

Forcing his disheveled breathing to relax, the saiyan decided to keep his mind clear... before his innate nature took over the reins once more.

_Heh, who would've thought. So much to drink… and that too from such a __**huge**__ well of power._

Soaking in all that he could see, feel and touch (albeit through his mind alone), the meditating male uncrossed his arms and placed both of his hands upon each corresponding knee in tandem.

_Alright then... time to see if I can figure out a way **around** __that__ form._

* * *

**Inside the mind of the mighty 'master of mayhem' -**

_"…"_

_An unearthly feeling had begun to touch at his overtly sensitive skin from all around his stationary frame. It wasn't trying to choke him **or** cause any sort of discomfort however._

_Not at all._

_Instead, Broly was finding himself in a blank state of sorts. _

_A state in which he could see, hear, feel **and** experience only what all occurred within the new (and hauntingly silent) space._

_In short, his new-found meditative state had ensured that he was successfully cut off from all that was happening in the outside world._

_..._

_A few short steps forward and his throat had begun to dry up. _

_("Is my mind... really __**this**__ empty?")_

_There was, literally, **nothing** going on in the serene quietness that was Broly's inner mind. _

_Not being familiar with what normal mortals would refer to as 'fond memories', the man was beginning to grow terribly impatient (as well as bored) with his immediate surroundings._

_("Dammit! Why is this place so quiet?! Where's that huge well of power gone to? It should be around here somewhere.")_

_"!"_

_Grabbing at his head with both hands, the mighty saiyan soon let loose a pained howl… into the silent abyss that was his own dark psyche._

_A few brief moments of pain and his head felt lighter as compared to before. Almost as if 'relieved' of a great burden._

_("GAH! What the hell was that supposed to be?")_

_"...!" _

_Eyes widening as a distant memory appeared in front of his vision, the confused male could only watch as a painful event replayed itself (shamelessly) all over again._

_("This… no! How could this-?")_

* * *

**Flashback 1 –**

_"WAAAA! UWAAAA!"_

_The chamber containing all of the newborn saiyan infants would have been a calm domain of peaceful silence… _

_... were it not for the owner of the above mentioned wails._

_"Geeh... (sob!) ehe.. gnhh." _

_Kakarot's neighbor, a far-more-quietly weeping Broly, was the unfortunate audience to the incessant noise being caused by the former._

_It was, to be frank, nothing but torture for the poor youngling._

_... _

_Distant footsteps, into the room, were the only source of relief that was available to the tiny being at that point. _

_For he had then, due to the former, innately hoped (and prayed), with his undeveloped mind, that this stranger would make the noisy occupant, lying in the crib next to his, ultimately settle down… even if for just a short while. _

_"!"_

_Little did the innocent infant know however... this so-called 'savior' would actually prove to be the primary cause of his innate fear. One that would continue to haunt him well into his later years._

_The fear of being held in the palm of another's hand… as a mere pawn that could be disposed of, as and when required, by the former._

_... _

_It was this innate feeling of being controlled by someone other than himself that would (soon) make him hostile to any and all that existed around him._

_Needless to say, it was an undesirable situation where his ultimate destiny and overall fate would not be under his own control... in any way whatsoever._

_**SSICHH!**_

_"UIYAAAAH!"_

_The piercing yell of a newborn being stabbed of whatever life was present within it was, truly, one that would require some effort to be able to forget._

_..._

_Oddly enough, once the almost lifeless baby had been swiftly disposed of; akin to some sort of worthless trash, Kakarot had put an immediate halt to his rampant bawling._

**End flashback –**

* * *

_"Urgh! __Why did I have to go through all of that **again**?"_

_Clutching at his head once more; both knees threatening to buckle due to the sheer emotional strain that his body was feeling, Broly promptly dug his heels into the invisible ground beneath him… _

_... hoping__ to restore some sort of balance to his staggering form._

_The traumatic memory, that he had somehow managed to push back into the deepest recesses of his heart and mind, had proven successful in nearly bringing one as powerful as him to his very knees._

_The mere thought of that happening, to be hurtfully honest, scared him... to this day._

_"Why__ did I have to see something like that again?" solitary palm raised ahead of him, the furious saiyan promptly fired off a crackling green ball of ki into the deep unknown, far and off into the distance that could never be measured, "Dammit!"_

_**KABOOM!** _

_"..." _

_("Even the fucking **explosions** are imaginary.") _

_Having vented most of his immediate frustrations with the brief outburst, the man sucked in a big breath to settle his agitated nerves, eyes drooping close as an unfamiliar calm enveloped his psyche… yet again._

_("It's strange how I feel like this in here. Was my mind __**actually**__ capable of remaining this calm all along?")_

_... _

_The answer to his genuine query would have to wait…_

_"Not again…!"_

_One more vision, this one being a tad bit more recent, flashed across the landscape… making the hapless male sweat due to his undisguised desperation. _

_("Shit.")_

* * *

**Flashback 2 – **

**BOOOOM!**

_The devastating attack had left only destruction, emptiness and scattered debris in its wake. The funny (and to be put frankly, 'twisted') thing though, was that it had been fired off by a grinning young boy._

_"Broly!__ Stop it! Stop it my son! You'll destroy the planet that's been our home for the past-!"_

_Glaring from over his shoulder at his panicking parent, a 10 year old Broly sneered in disinterest… being far too occupied with his current task._

_"Shut__ it father! Can't you see that I'm busy?"_

_"..."_

_Frozen into solid attention, Paragus merely nodded with a face that clearly reflected his submission to his offspring. It, in Broly's blunt opinion, quite suited the man._

_He was simply a helpless father who had failed to keep his son's destructive urges in due check; latter's sadistic need, to kill and dominate all that existed around him, proving to be far too much for him to handle. _

_"That's__ better. Keep that big mouth of yours shut for a while! Hehe."_

**End flashback –**

* * *

_"..."_

_Shaking his head at the fact that he had once nearly succeeded in destroying his own home, ("I guess that was the __**one**__ time that I really couldn't stop myself.") a mentally exhausted Broly then decided to walk for a bit._

_("Pff... this shitty place makes even that New Planet Vegeta look like a haven.")_

_..._

_Arms crossed and eyes barely registering the darkness that was present all around him, the tall male sighed softly as his search failed to yield any effective results… mind still soaking in all of the pain, all of the distasteful memories._

_One by one._

_**VOOOOM!**_

_("I really love doing this. It makes me actually feel as if I'm finally free.")_

_Going 'super' within one's mind had its benefits it would seem. There was obviously no one around you to even notice the visible change. _

_"..."_ _("This is pointless. That clown told me that all I've got to do is stay transformed for as long as possible…")_

_Raising both of his fists, sharp gaze scrutinizing every little detail, Broly frowned deeply; emerald orbs flashing dangerously, __("… but what can I even do in this state? It's not like I'll grow stronger by simply sitting around like this all day.")_

_Freeing his mind of the nagging thoughts, the saiyan thought back onto how Goku's devised method of training had ensured that all of the problems related to the former's transformation would be kept in check._

_"Hmph."__ ("Atleast my body has learned how to handle the huge strain now. It always felt like I would burst under the pressure before.")_

_Truly, his most hated enemy's advice had worked wonders for the powerful warrior in recent times. Ki output, already being a dangerous and somewhat risky craft, was of the extreme nature when it came to one such as him._

_It was of **utmost** importance that Broly learnt how to control his huge power._

_("Like I actually plan on going 'all-out' anytime soon.")_

_A smug grin and his instinctual nature had kicked in once again, ("Not against that bug or anyone else atleast. Hehehe.")_

_To be absolutely honest, he had definitely tried to harness his unique traits in the past few days to the best of his mental 'abilities'. However, like all things new to him, it hadn't been a cakewalk. _

_From any angle. _

_"Kakarot_,_ you and your brat may have become so-called 'perfect' super saiyans but I'm the only one who'll turn up as the strongest when the time comes."_

_Flaring his aura outwards, Broly let loose a roar of effort as his power level fluctuated and rose further… threatening to shatter the very boundaries of his inner mind and escape out into the open._

_"ALRIGHT__ KAKAROT! WHERE IS THE TRUE SOURCE OF MY POWER? DON'T YOU DARE TRICK ME AGAIN!"_

_The brief memory of his humiliating defeat at the hands of the happy-go-lucky saiyan helped to further fuel his passionate search for that ever-elusive well of raw energy that he had been informed about._

_"GGHHH__!__ I… I see it!"_

* * *

_Indeed, Broly, with both of his eyes shut tight, could make out a faint speck of greenish-gold that seemingly floated just out of his reach._

_"..." _

_Reaching out towards it, mental skills far too poor and underdeveloped to cope with the humongous strain, the man panted softly as sweat escaped the pores of his skin in tiny streams of perspiration._

_"Rraah!_"_ ("I've almost got it!")_

_A final lurch, and the determined saiyan had at last managed to become the master of his own fate. _

_The wholesome feeling was strangely similar to the one he had felt when breaking free of his father's control._

_With his right fist enclosed around the ball of light, fingers feeling tingly as they soaked in the raw power that lay within him… from his fingertips till his wrist and then all along his arm, the surprised male felt... pretty much the same._

_Only… in a slightly different way._

_("I… I can't believe how right he was.")_

_... _

_Goku, it would seem, had been well aware of the fact that a 'well of power' existed within himself as well as his son. _

_Through prior experiences related to Gohan's erratic outbursts of fury, the surprisingly observant father had mentally noted down the reasons for the strange behavior… knowing that someday, in the future, a time would arise when said ki source, that had given his young son such great power, would prove to be the difference between victory and defeat against a truly lethal foe._

_Handing over this precious information to someone as temperamental as **Broly** was merely a part of his plan to ensure that he and the Earth were well-prepared to face-off against one such as Cell. _

_It was also quite clear that he, himself, had little to no time to attempt the tricky feat. _

_Hence, that had made him think and subsequently offer up the golden chance to his dangerous fellow saiyan... in the hopes that he would find success whilst performing it._

_..._

_Son Goku, without doubt, would have been pleased to see, firsthand, the ultimate result of his master-plan in action._

_..._

_Calming himself down a notch, yet keeping his transformed state intact; aura no longer present, Broly sucked in a much-needed gulp of imaginary air before bidding goodbye to his inner psyche._

_"Good__ riddance." ("Here's hoping that I never get to come back here again.")_

* * *

**Outside –**

"…"

Slowly allowing the bright sunlight to penetrate his vision, the male groaned softly before taking care of a bothersome crick in his neck.

_Aah… that'll help make me think straight._

Blinking twice and getting up from his perch, roaring waterfall behind his frame being largely ignored by the former, Broly thought back onto his recent attempts at 'thorough mastery' over the SSJ state.

Something that he certainly wouldn't have tried… save for a certain ( and annoyingly cheerful) host.

"I guess, it was worth it to some extent. That bastard turned out to be far smarter than what I gave him credit for."

A tiny smirk of appreciation crawled out of the confines of his unassuming scowl, making the tall man look a tad bit 'different' once more.

_Benefits or not, that guy sure knows his training... I'll give him that._

Certainly, the sheer benefits and plus points of possessing complete mastery over the basic super saiyan state had managed to impress Broly… at least to some degree.

He felt far less tense as well as light-headed as compared to before.

Things were being processed far more clearly in his head when they were once all about being driven by blind rage and unfocused irritation.

Power-wise, the man definitely felt as if there was **far** more lying underneath the surface then what was visible to the naked eye. Yes, he had much more to give as a fighter than before as well.

In short, Broly was now fully able to keep his instinctual urge to transform into his **real** self, in order to prove himself and his capabilities to his adversaries, well under control.

That feeling alone, gave him a bout of confidence that would rightfully 'scare' most hard-headed men. It was quite refreshing for him to be able to know that he actually wouldn't need to transform into that rampaging behemoth during battle.

"Damn, who would've thought. This feeling… it makes everything else seem inferior for some reason. It's like I've actually found…"

* * *

**Elsewhere –**

Having trained himself silly in order to hone his already matchless skills even further, the evil bringer of destruction, Cell, smirked as punch after punch cut out clean niches within the formless air and dust that surrounded him.

Primary reason for the above being that even though he considered himself as one who did not need to improve, there was always that ever-bothersome 'risk' as far as Goku was concerned.

That despicable element of luck that had helped him survive past encounters that he should've easily lost.

Yes, Cell knew about it all… courtesy of his devious creator's painstaking research and unparalleled genius in the matter.

To be absolutely sure, the all-powerful being that decided to **prevent** any such errors from his end. No foolish mistakes were to be made when he was to engage the defender of the planet earth in raw, unbridled combat.

"…" _Just you wait Son Goku, I'll be sure to treat your inevitable death as a sign that signals the **end** of this pathetic world. _

A few well-timed kicks... followed up by an afterimage and subsequent chop from behind, and his clone had been disposed of with effortless ease; method of sparring being one that he had picked up from the dangerously intelligent Piccolo.

A cheeky smirk and Cell had put the poetic cherry atop his mini-achievement.

_You, and all of your foolish friends, should feel honored to face death at the hands of true…_

* * *

**Broly –**

"… perfection."

* * *

**Cell -**

_... perfection._

…

Indeed, both of the powerful beings had found what they had been looking for in the short time before their respective goals could be reached.

Perfection or not, one thing had definitely been made clear by this point…

"Heh, you'd better watch yourself Kakarot… because I've already managed to far exceed my limitations!"

A confident grin would only serve as the rightful icing on the cake for the man after his bold declaration. His body and mind were now fully ready for the major event that was looming over the horizon.

The definitive 'Cell Games' could now begin in full flow.

**[Countdown: 1 day to go]**

* * *

**AN: Well, looks like the last chappie garnered some decent queries after all! **

**On a different note, I would like to sincerely apologize before-hand for the unforeseen delay in proceedings (a cousin's wedding preparations can be an amazingly exhausting process you see!)**

**Onto the questions then:**

* * *

**- Scion 141:**

**1) When Broly flared his Ki, he said "it used to hurt to do this before.". What does he mean?**

**A: **_I hope this chapter answered your question ;)_

**2) Some time back, you said that Broly was going to train as well. When is he going to start his training?**

**A: **_Well, he initially planned upon doing so… but circumstances ensured that he ended up undertaking a bit of 'meditation' and soul-searching instead!_

**3) Cell's training? Now, why would he do that?**

**A: **_Kindly refer to answer no. 1 XD_

**- XYZ:**

**1) Why was Vegeta under that much strain when he was SSJ Third Stage. I doubt it would put such a strain on him that he would be tired within a few minutes. Heck, Trunks used the form to fight Cell. He de-transformed after the fight and didn't look very tired. Vegeta was in the gravity chamber, but at that level of power, the amount of gravity he experienced wouldn't affect him at Third Stage level. So, what the hell...?**

**A: **_Gravity doesn't work that way my friend. Seeing as SSJ Grade 3 requires a great deal of energy to simply 'maintain', I figured that even someone as experienced as Vegeta wouldn't be able to handle the physical strain for an extended period of time… under pressurized gravity no less!_

**- Wavern:**

**1) What did Broly mean when he said that it used to hurt to flare (?) his Ki?**

**A: **_I've tried to present a satisfactory answer to your query in this chapter. Btw, 'flaring' one's ki means that the energy required to power up (eg: an attack or any ki-based maneuver) is being exerted outwards (like an aura of sorts)_

* * *

**Phew! I hope all of my replies were good enough! Hope that you guys keep reviewing and continue to share your interesting thoughts with yours truly!**

**Adios amigos!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter X: The whole world knows

**Disclaimer: I do not own this magnanimous franchise. Period.**

**AN: Well, it looks like the last chappie garnered some really positive reviews! **

**It feels nice, personally speaking, to know that this simple piece of mere 'fiction' has made its mark felt among the masses in general.**

**PS: A big shout-out to 'XYZ' and 'Wavern' for their inspiring and kind words. Reading your thoughts, in relation to the progression of this fic, has proven to be a blast so far!**

* * *

_"It's horrible… simply horrible to even __**fathom**__, ladies and gentlemen!" _

_**Bzzzz! **_

_"Yes, it's the bare truth. Within the next 24 hours, we will all cease to exist… our hopes and dreams gone to waste. Our entire populace will be completely wiped out from the face of this dear, sweet planet while we all stand and watch the horror commence."_

_**Bzzzz! **_

_"Tis the end of a truly, __**truly**__ great period of advancement and progress folks. Sadly, it seems that our children were simply not meant to have even a taste of it! My only question through all of this chaos is… _

_... what has mankind even __**done**__ to have to experience a disaster such as this?!"_

_**Bzzzz!**_

_"And here thou can see small children, adults as well as thy elderly... praying for their sins to be pardoned in front of thy lord. Tis a sad day indeed for all of my kinsmen; utterly despicable creature being the reason for their state of mourning."_

**_Bzzzz!_**

_"And now, a word from our sponsor…"_

**Click!**

"What is the meaning of all this?!"

Eyes boring clean and clear holes into the skulls of his silent ministers, King Furry slammed a fist against his polished rosewood table before barking out his question once more... temper already rising past his castle's highest tower.

"I ask you all, just where did this… 'Cell' even come from? Don't we possess **any** sort of information regarding this monster?!"

"..."

Heads lowered, due to their inability to respond adequately to their ruler, the hapless members of the impressive court chose to keep mum. Their choice was, unsurprisingly, of the type that was selected under 'very special circumstances'… such as the above.

"…" _(Sigh!)_ _Just as I feared._

Adorning a deep frown over his brow, the aged king resumed his seated position with a huge sigh; two fingers rubbing his aching temple in tandem as the sheer stress associated with his position struck him with full force.

He had, in the past, faced a frighteningly similar scenario... having (temporarily) lost his position of power to the cause of the former. However, **then** denizen of evil, the all-powerful King Piccolo, had atleast given him a sliver of a chance to surrender; former's ruthless approach towards the acquisition of ultimate power kept aside.

Feeling as if the very ground had been snatched from beneath his feet, the worried king couldn't help but allow a significant amount of helplessness sink into his overworked psyche at that point.

_What am I even supposed to tell those poor souls? To simply sit back and 'watch' as some criminal destroys all that they have lived and worked for? No… there… there **must** be a way out of this mess._

* * *

"Ahem."

His prayers had, apparently, been heard.

...

Snapped out of his musings, the worried elder promptly cleared his throat, "Oh uh… yes, (ahem!) what is it Colonel?"

Standing at full attention, both arms situated behind his taut back (as was required due to mandatory protocol), Colonel Samson spoke with the determination and passion of a man ordered to confront the enemy head-on… with his country's very **fortunes** at stake.

His calm voice carried no hesitation within it; humane spirit being nay admirable in nature... all circumstances considered.

"Your Majesty, at this point it is pretty clear that whatever our forces do, they simply cannot even hold a candle against this powerful adversary."

Fingers crossed in his lap as well-trimmed finger nails brushed the tips of his whiskers, a morally tense King Furry nodded solemnly in response. _(Sigh!) We all know how __**that**__ debacle turned out. _

Adopting a softer tone, as was required at that point, the experienced colonel then sent his leader a rare smile… not one bordering upon happiness or joy of any kind, but one that held genuine sorrow within.

"My lord, from what we have seen of this creature, it would be wise to evacuate as many citizens as possible from all of the major cities around the globe…"

"!"

"...!"

None of the raised eyebrows coming from his colleagues and associates possessed the power to stop him at that point. He was 'dead serious' about whatever it was that he had planned within his tactical mind.

"… and if possible, a temporary shelter should be constructed to house those that have vacated their homes."

Having all eyes upon him, the military head continued on, "I understand that this may prove difficult and **is** a time-consuming task."

A sudden fire had appeared in the dark eyes of the war veteran, making him seem far taller than he actually was… height and stature rising to greater levels by the passing second.

"But if we simply sit and do nothing, this monster will surely destroy both life **and** property."

* * *

Silence had enveloped the entire court within its choking embrace. The concerned faces of the many ministers and officials made it (and understandably so) quite difficult for the equally worried king to even **dare** to attempt a response to his loyal colonel's passionate speech.

Rubbing his temple with a shaky finger before removing his spectacles from their royal perch, the speechless ruler finally managed to relay his thoughts on the suggested strategy.

"Colonel I… I can see where you're going with this and you are right. We simply cannot sit and wait for our doom to arrive. If any action must be taken, then it has to be now… at this very moment!"

Standing up from his seat for the second time that day, King Furry promptly ordered his chief minister to arrange for the best and largest carriers in the kingdom… seeing as they would come of use in an operation of this magnitude.

...

Soon after delivering that order, he commanded his PA to arrange for an emergency meeting with all of the other world leaders.

Having made his intentions clear, the diminutive monarch then took a couple of steps forward before speaking in a more authoritative tone of voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, for a task that is of a scale as large as this, I shall require all of your combined services... at all times."

The glum faces of more than half of the members of the royal court did not, however, dampen the renewed morale of the just ruler at that critical stage. if anything, it only made his determination expand to an even greater size.

"HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

"…!" _Crap… he's serious about this isn't he?_

"!" _Good heavens! What got into **him** all of a sudden?_

The booming voice of their courageous king ensured that whatever fear had been creeping into their hearts (along with the many doubts that had managed to plague their minds) was swiftly countered and dealt with.

Witnessing the changes occurring around him, Colonel Samson adopted a more positive tone and bowed low before his king, "Yes your Majesty. Now, do I have your utmost permission to, both, gather my finest troops **and** use the most advanced type of military artillery available in our arsenal?"

Turning fully towards his most trusted and loyal aide, King Furry merely smiled. _In any case, he wouldn't have backed away from such a suicidal task even if I had ordered him to._

"..."

Nodding in reply, mind having understood the silent reply, the brave colonel exited the royal courtroom with a determined gait adorning his steps… latter making the rest of the men and women in the room stare in awe at his guts.

* * *

In the midst of all the chatter about how they would go about bringing their leader's strategic plan to fruition, not **one** of the many ministers of the royal court managed to notice the tiny droplet of warm liquid that had cascaded down and past the left cheek of the aged king.

_I wish you the best of luck… old friend._

…

**Click!**

Switching on the TV once more to check up on on any new developments, King Furry would soon have to be referred to as King 'Fury' instead.

"…?!" _What in the world? _

…

_"Mr. Satan Mr. Satan! What do you plan on doing tomorrow against the evil being known as Cell? Surely your legendary martial arts skills are more than enough to tackle this global threat?"_

_(Voice from the huge crowd): "We love you Mr Satan!"_

_"…"_ _("Ohhh yeah! Time for me to shine in the spotlight!")_

_Sporting a terribly grim expression, earth's greatest 'hope' and the sole challenger who would dare to go up against the monstrosity known as Cell, finally spoke._

_"BWAHAHA! Of course! What did you expect? Why, forget martial arts, my fists alone are more than enough to pound the living daylights outta that creep, Hehehe!"_

_(Press reporter): "…"_

_(Crowd): "…"_

_"WOW! Did you hear that folks? Mr. Satan has openly declared a sure-fire victory against Cell! What a great day it is inde-!"_

**Click!**

Thumb sitting firmly upon the big red button, the utterly flabbergasted monarch could only send out a heartfelt prayer for his naïve human populace.

_Fools. They'll only get that sorry excuse for a wrestler killed… _

Calming down his conscience by a considerable margin, King Furry managed to let loose an amused smile... his first in a long while.

_... not that that's a bad thing._

* * *

**In a different, far more 'relaxed' environment –**

Resting easy in a lawn chair, huge cigar hanging past his lower lip without a care in the world, Hercule Satan was enjoying every moment of his recent stardom.

Winning the previous edition of the WMAT (the '24th Tenkaichi Budokai' to be precise) had only been the beginning of his rise to the top... not to mention the sheer publicity and popularity that had come with it all.

He, literally, had **everything** money could buy... and then some.

The time, it would seem, had finally arrived for his fame to spread to all the corners of the globe.

"...?" _Eh? What's this?_

Raising an eyebrow at a recent article, the man smirked as his blue orbs scanned it thoroughly… vanity riding to whole new levels as he did so.

"Hmph, the fools. What do they know about the world of martial arts? I, Mr. Satan, **made** it what it is today. They should be thanking me and acknowledging my efforts instead of publishing such ridiculous garbage."

Flicking the magazine up and over his head, the man then proceeded to initiate his 'power nap' session.

All of the other things around him were, at that point in time, forgotten and not lauded with much attention... at all.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in some other part of the world champion's mansion – **

"..."

Going past the many trophies of her father, a 9 year old Videl Satan, stared in awe at the many pieces of gleaming silverware that her 'over-the-top' parent had garnered over the course of his professional career. The browsing session had, recently, proved to be a hobby of sorts for her it would seem.

_Wow. Daddy sure won a whole lotta fights... that's for sure._

Spotting the most recent addition to the vast collection of medals and trophies, the young girl nearly burst out laughing as she recalled the way in which her father had accepted it.

_He really needs to shorten those speeches of his though, hmm-hmm!_

Having looked up to the man as a figure of strength and, frankly speaking, greatness, Videl had never before in her short life thought of asking him about the reason behind his numerous victories in combat.

_He always tells me that only the most trained martial artist can use those 'secret' techniques of his but…_

Adorning a small frown that bordered on 'outright cute' and 'downright serious', the curious girl abruptly halted in her tracks as soon as she felt the lithe magazine fall by her small feet.

"…?" _Hm?__  
_

Bending down to pick it up, the youngster was in for a rude shock; eyes staring unblinkingly at the cover page of the former.

_EH?!_

**"HERCULE SATAN: A force of nature or a fraud beyond measure?" – the celebrated historian, Dr. Masaki Kazawa shares her opinion regarding the world's greatest (ever?) martial artist.**

"...!"_ What do they mean by fraud? Don't they know how strong daddy __**really**__ is?!_

Utterly perplexed and rightfully surprised at the blasphemous article, Videl decided to not question her father about the former. Atleast… not right then.

_Mm, daddy'll probably be stressed out because of it already. I'd better not disturb his nap right now._

* * *

Making her way back to her room, that resided upon the 2nd floor of the elaborate mansion, the girl held the magazine close to her chest as her mind began to race…

_No way. Daddy is a great fighter who __**always**__ wins his fights no matter what. I'm sure… I'm sure that those people are probably just jealous of his many feats. _

For a naïve 9 year old, the above reasons were 'more than valid' at that particular point in time.

_Yeah, that's got to be it!_

As long as her heart and mind were convinced, that's all that mattered.

* * *

Once up in her spacious room, the mentally confused girl lay down upon her soft bed; mind recalling the sole factor that had been her driving force ever since the loss of her mother.

"…"

The large assortment of toys and such that she had been bestowed with had begun to lose its charm in recent times; dolls and the like long forgotten due to her increasing age. To be honest, she had outgrown all the other children of her age group by 'leaps and bounds' due to her sharp mind and passion towards the martial arts… as the latter was present in her very blood.

Videl Satan had **always** wanted to be just like her father… to walk in his footsteps and eventually (hopefully someday soon) make him proud.

The only obstacle in her path was, in all honesty, her young age… topped off with the overprotective man's massive ego and strict set of 'rules'.

_Tsk! One of these days I'm definitely going to make him train me… or else._

Pouting slightly at her present predicament, the miffed female crossed both of her arms before turning onto her side. _I'm not a little baby anymore. He should know that by now._

All else aside, it was certainly quite clear that she was itching to join her father in his intensive training sessions.

Her ardent wish to be like the man that she had admired since day one, had looked up to since she could walk and wanted to reach ever since then… it definitely was a unique feeling to harbor indeed.

In hindsight, it was quite obvious that the young offspring of the world champ truly wanted to carry on his legacy with pride; tiny shoulders 'more-than-ready' to lift the weighted responsibility that often came with resolutions such as the above.

…

Peeking out from under her sheets; single azure orb staring at the culprit in question, the drowsy girl promptly turned off her noisy alarm clock… having dozed off without prior planning about an hour ago.

_(Yawn!) Did I fall asleep? What time is it?_

"…!" _Oh no!_

Nearly leaping out of her bed, clothes all messy and dark hair falling all over the place, Videl hastily set up the latter into neat pigtails before racing down the stairs that separated her from her goal. _I hope he hasn't begun getting ready yet… ohh!_

Her reason for worry being absolutely legitimate in nature, the panting child finally reached the end of the stairway and headed towards her father's luxurious study.

_Yes! Made it._

* * *

**Inside –**

Skimming over his list of the things that would come into play tomorrow, Hercule frowned briefly as his mind thought back onto what he had told his daughter the day prior.

* * *

**Flashback –**

_"But-!"_

_"I forbid it! When I say that you can't come along I mean it!"_

_Crossing her arms across her chest before letting out a big huff, Videl stuck her tongue out at her fuming father, eyes flashing dangerously as she did so._

_"Fine!"_

_Mirroring her pose, the tall man repeated her words with as much authority that he could muster... impressive afro looking lightly frizzled, but only just._

_"Hmph, fine! I hope that you won't bring this topic up again young lady!"_

**End flashback –**

* * *

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the man soon began to regret the tone used by him, _(Sigh!)_ _Maybe I should've explained things better. Who knows how long her bad mood will last. _

Shaking his head free of all unnecessary distractions, the single father resumed his packing in gusto; mind promptly getting back to work as he did so.

_Okay… don't need that… probably gonna need this… nope… uh… oops, almost forgot… aha!_

Needless to say, things were going fairly smoothly at his end… more or less.

* * *

**Outside the room –**

Placing a solitary hand over the edge of the doorway, Videl managed to sneak a quick peek in relation to what her busy parent was currently doing.

It was... quite a sight indeed.

_Why is daddy taking all of his belts with him? Are those nosy reporters going to follow him there too?_

Not completely understanding the reason for her father's unwarranted haste, young Videl kept mum as her sole parent kept up his hectic pace; afro looking muddled for the first time since she could remember.

_Is he… nervous?_

...

_Am I… getting nervous 'bout all of this?_

Shaking his head free of the annoyingly nagging doubts (for the umpteenth time) that had been plaguing him recently, Hercule kept on recalling certain 'motivational' words over and over in his muddled brain whilst adding the finishing touches to his final preparations for the big day ahead.

_Phew! It looks like I'm actually packing up my stuff to go on a holiday! Ha!_

Trying to instill humor into the situation seemed to work for the man at that point it would seem; hands working with a renewed vigor as his fingers swiftly zipped up the last of his large duffel bags.

'Twas truly a unique sight indeed.

"Aha! That should do it. Now, where's my pager gone off to?"

Turning his head from left to right in search of the elusive device, the overtly busy male clearly failed to notice the presence of his little 'angel'; latter being in a 'not-so-discreet' hiding spot a few meters behind him.

* * *

Racking her brains for a solution to her predicament, Videl nearly gave her sudden brainwave an audible form…

... luckily for her though, her hand was faster than her tongue in the above case.

_Got it! I'll just sneak into his jetcopter while he's busy loading it up with all of his stuff!_

Nearly clapping both of her hands together in uncharacteristic glee, the excited girl promptly bonked herself on the head for the unnecessary gestures… knowing that if the location of her current position was compromised with, then all hell may break loose.

In short, young Videl faced the severe punishment of being 'grounded' if news of her master-plan ever reached the ears of her overreacting father.

Her situation called for outright caution and proper execution… **if** she intended to actually witness her famous parent in full flow; entire brunt of his legendary combat skills available for display in front of her very eyes…

... for the first time.

…

Lying in the comfort of her warm bed once more, having quickly raced up to her room once her father had made his way out of his study some minutes prior, Videl began to literally **feel** the uncontrollable jitters of excitement that all small children feel whilst in waiting for a certain 'big day' that lay ahead of them.

_Ooh, I can't __**wait**__ for tomorrow to come! Daddy will definitely win, I just know he will. He's the world champ after all!_

Such optimistic murmurs were customary banter as far as the mentally sharp but still **naïve** young girl was concerned.

Turning off her nightlight, the happy child waited for her 'daddy dearest' to come upstairs and tuck her in…

...

"Good luck for your match tomorrow daddy," she at last murmured into the cool night air that surrounded her small form; heart and mind set upon personally witnessing her father's magic at the 'Cell Games' that were to be the setting stage for his unquestionable glory.

Dreams, needless to say, were mostly of the pleasant sort for young Videl Satan that night.

* * *

**Son residence –**

**Tick! Tock! **

"…"

**Tick! Tock!**

"…"

**Tick! To-!**

"KAKAROT!" _This. Is. The. Last. Straw!_

The reason for the legendary saiyan's latest 'tantrum' was, apparently, the Son family's annoying clock.

Creeping away from the large man, Gohan tugged at his sleeping father's sleeve; mind utterly amazed at the fact that the former had managed to continue to doze away in spite of the imminent danger of being at the receiving end of their temperamental guest's awesome power.

"Dad! Wake up!" _Hurry…! _

Snapped out of his happy place, the head of the family almost lost his balance whilst trying to respond to his son's incessant calls... that were craving for his immediate attention.

"Snrk-! Wha-?!"

Nearly falling off of the chair that he had been peacefully dozing upon, arms hanging limp (in a nearly 'lifeless' manner to be frank) at either side of the thing, Goku promptly began to turn his head from side to side… hoping to locate the source of all the commotion that he had unfortunately found himself to be in the midst of.

"Wha-? What's goin' on Gohan? Are we being robbed?" _Oh no… all our food!_

"..."

Ignoring the urge to slap his forehead, young Gohan simply pointed towards the fuming male onto his right; eyes holding the type of look that warranted a sense of tact. _Please don't make him more mad than he already is dad…_

"…?"

Glancing over to where his son's finger wanted him to look, the somewhat confused saiyan couldn't help but unleash a goofy grin at the 'all-too-familiar' sight.

...

There he was, powerful arms at his sides... both fists curled into tight balls stronger than the toughest steel and eyes nearly narrowed into dangerous slits. The look was topped off with an expression of utter disdain upon his angular face.

Yes.

Broly was, undoubtedly, **livid** at his oblivious host.

Backing away from what was soon going to turn into quite an ugly scene, Gohan swiftly wished his father goodnight before racing up and into his room, mind somewhat glad that he had at least gotten to see his hapless parent one final time.

_(Sigh!) Sorry Dende, I guess that I'll have to come and live with you again… only this time I'll have to bring **mom** along too. _

The young demi-saiyan was, indeed, to be pitied… all other factors aside.

* * *

**Back in the drawing room –**

Grinding his teeth together as steam nearly billowed out of his reddened ears, Broly took step upon heavy step in the direction of his arch enemy… and sole reason for living.

"…" _Th__e bastard does all of this on purpose, I just know it!_

Obviously not in the mood to simply 'talk', the large male did not halt his approach till he was merely a few inches away from his shorter adversary… bloodshot orbs glaring down at the cheerful hero of the planet earth all the while.

Rubbing the back of his neck, signature grin in place, Goku opened his mouth to inquire about the reason for his guest's foul mood.

"Uh… hehe, why the long fa-?"

**WHAM!**

Having hurled the very chair that Goku had previously been sitting on right across the room (with one swift grab **and** easy flick of his wrist mind you!), Broly simply kept his lips sealed in reply…

… before catching sight of an equally angry Chi-Chi bursting onto the scene.

_Great, more trash to deal with._

…

Screeching to a halt, having been unceremoniously awoken from her nap, Son Chi-Chi was indeed furious at the present state of things.

_Why I oughta-! Just __**who**__ does he think he is?! Manhandling all of our possessions like this?_

Hands placed upon her rounded hips, _That's it. I have had __**enough**__ of this nonsense,_ the Son matriarch ignored her husband's pleas and approached the imposing man in front of her.

Her mission was to immediately **remove** this strange and somewhat dangerous man from her and her husband's familial property… all previous hospitality be damned.

_Not that he had ever even uttered something as simple as a 'thank you' before. Hmph!_

Mind feeling overtly burdened and eyes unwilling to tolerate another moment of the saiyan's presence within her precious home, Chi-Chi soon proceeded to blow her top…

... seeing as a mere 'rant' simply wouldn't have sufficed at that point.

"HOW **DARE** YOU! DO YOU REALIZE HOW HARD WE HAVE TO SAVE UP OUR FUNDS TO BUY THINGS LIKE THAT?! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE GOKU'S 'FRIEND' DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'll ALLOW YOU TO SABOTAGE MY HOUSE YOU-!"

Having had enough of the woman's incessant yelling, Broly decided then and there that his, already limited, patience had run its due course.

"Shut it bitch."

"...!"_  
_

A curt reply by the indifferent male and the screaming woman's voice had managed to die within her throat.

* * *

"…" _Uh-oh. Now __**this**__ is bad._

Understanding just how fragile the situation had become, Goku decided to act quickly… for the sake of his mate's well-being that is.

…

Unable to respond adequately to the burly man's quip, Chi-Chi merely stared in shock at the latter for a few seconds… before recalling her prior rage that was meant to have been directed towards the former.

_The… The nerve! Alright, __**now**__ he has definitely crossed the line! _

Raising her right hand, to perform a deed that she would later undoubtedly have to pay the consequences for, the infuriated female swiftly brought said hand down upon the taller male's cheekbone…

… satisfying sound of her palm meeting cold flesh being of the sort that she found genuine pleasure in.

"HA! Take **that** you hooligan. That'll teach you better than to-!"

"…"

"… t-to…" _O-Oh dear, what did I just-?_

Frozen in raw fear as onyx pupils, colder and more feral than any she had come across before created gaping holes within her very skull, Chi-Chi began to harbor feelings quite similar to the ones that she had felt during her first face-to-face meeting with the strange man.

"You… worthless scum."

The sheer menace and promise of unforgiving **pain** that resonated within his raspy voice was truly unmistakable. It almost made the entire room feel like a prison cell of sorts… the type where acts of a highly torturous nature occurred on a daily basis.

Kakarot's harpy had crossed an invisible line and ventured into waters that were never meant to be navigated **or** tread upon. Her attempts at regaining her slowly diminishing self-respect, in front of the rude saiyan male, had ended her up in a situation where her very life was in mortal danger of being ripped out from her body.

For Chi-Chi, this was first time that she had felt 'true fear'.

However, this certainly was not the fear that she often felt in regards to the overall well-being of her son's educational pursuits **or** the future career-oriented aspects (or **lack** thereof) of her husband.

No, this new sensation was one that she was terribly unfamiliar with.

The domineering homemaker was feeling genuine and unbridled fear for her own, highly vulnerable life.

…

Glaring darkly at the earthling female, eyes relishing the fact that his one statement had made her tremble and shiver all over, Broly smirked evilly before swiftly reaching out to grab her neck…

_At last… I'll shut her up for good!_

… or he would have, had a certain husband not back-handed his attempt.

"…!" _Eh?_

* * *

"…" _Phew... too close._

Utterly focused upon his opponent, Goku made sure to keep his voice low before addressing his 'still frozen' wife.

_"Hey… Chi-Chi."_

"…"

Catching sight of her condition from the corner of his right eye, the man mentally sighed before repeating his words… albeit a tad bit louder than the last time.

_"Snap out of it Cheech!" Wow, I've __**never**__ seen her like this before._

"!" _Ah!_

Glad that he had managed to grab to her attention, Goku let loose a crooked smile before whispering his final instructions to his spouse… _"Listen, for now just go upstairs okay? I promise that there'll be no more fighting between the two of us."_

Noticing the skeptical look that still meandered within the scared orbs of his wife, the confident saiyan affirmed his prior statement; dark eyes holding onto the smoldering confidence bubbling within.

_"I'll come by later. You have my word."_

…

Nodding slowly before regaining her composure, albeit steadily, Chi-Chi quietly but carefully headed back upstairs and towards her and Goku's bedroom. The painfully slow walk upstairs being of the sort that was capable of making even a turtle turn green with envy.

_H-He planned to kill me… he actually t-tried to-_

Shaking her head free of the horrifying idea, the Son matriarch tried her level-best to regain her lost sense of spirit lest she lose out on some much-needed sleep.

"..."

A quick glance into her dozing son's room and she had managed to calm down by a considerable amount.

* * *

**Downstairs –**

_Good. She's gone back to our room._

Squaring off against the stone-faced man in front of him, Goku remained as calm as a rock before speaking, "Alright Broly, just let that little incident go, okay? Your business is with me so don't drag Chi-Chi into the middle of this."

Crossing both arms across his broad chest, Broly merely grunted back in reply… mind not particularly interested in paying attention to his rival's serious words.

_Heh, I've had my fair share of having to listen to the asshole's big mouth enough. No point in going through __**that**__ phase again._

Realizing that he would have to add some oil to the dimming fire, Goku managed to hide his shifty smirk before continuing with his proposal, "I promise you… that once we take care of Cell, you and I can have a proper rematch. No funny stuff."

Raising an interested eyebrow at the tempting offer, the taller saiyan glared hard at the shorter warrior before offering another indifferent snort. _Seems like he knows what he's talking about. Well that's a first…_

Keeping his composure steady, palms beginning to sweat due to his uncontrollable hunger for competition, Goku smiled back casually before putting the authoritative stamp atop his plan.

"But, till that time comes, I want to have your **word** that you'll not harm anyone... either in this house or anywhere else."

…

Throwing back his head before letting out a roaring bout of laughter, Broly ignored the confused expression on the face of his hapless host; echoes of his sickening ballad resonating from the rooms four walls.

"...?!" _He's… laughing? Did I say something funny?_

Thoroughly bewildered yet slightly peeved at the unexpected response from the monstrous saiyan, Goku simply kept mum and waited patiently for the big man to finish up with his jovial outburst.

* * *

"HAHAHAHAHA!" _The poor fool. Does he __**actually**__ believe all of the bullshit that he just uttered? Heh, I guess that I'd better humor him then…_

Calming himself down, in a disturbingly quick manner, Broly sneered at his lifelong nemesis before sharing his thoughts on the present topic with the latter. "Hmph. You know, Kakarot, I may just consider doing things **your** way for once."

"...!"

Eyes widening at the words uttered by the burly individual, Goku kept his mouth shut lest the man get mad at him again.

_Well that was easy. Looks like all he actually wants to do is simply kill me. _

Mentally snickering at his words, the naturally cheerful saiyan subconsciously rubbed the back of his head. _Hehe, it's a good thing that I've got a whole lotta experience to go by then!_

…

Vegeta may have been the perfect example for the term 'ruthless survivor', but Son Goku was living proof of what hard work and solid ambition (to become the best) could bring to the fray.

All of his past achievements, large and small, could finally be put to the test; against a fellow saiyan 'as well as' an artificially created opponent.

Coming back to the task at hand, the Earth-raised hero merely nodded in compliance... before getting a sudden brainwave.

_Why not? It's the perfect time to ask him about it too._

"Uh… Broly?"

Cringing at the sound of his name being uttered by the infernal man, the raven-haired male directed his attention towards the former. _What does he want __**now**__? _

Sporting a well-disguised grin, Goku gestured towards the storage room that lay in waiting behind his current position. _Here goes…_

"I've kinda got another request to make… but we'll hafta talk about it in there."

...

Harboring a skeptical look upon his taut features, Broly reluctantly followed the suspiciously jolly man into the small room. _Alright, just what has he got going through that head of his __**this**__ time?_

* * *

**Inside –**

Once inside, the well-built man noticed the presence of two rickety chairs and a tiny table. Nothing too fancy, but certainly an amicable environment as far as discreet discussions were to be concerned.

It was **the** perfect place to talk about… whatever it was that his host had cooking within his surprisingly 'able mind'.

_Hmph, does the idiot plan on making me sleep in this stuffy old shack or what?_

...

Offering his companion one of the two available seats, Goku happily dropped his weight down upon the bigger of the two, face showing off his approval of the same.

"…"

Catching wind of the fact that his 'enemy' was still standing, the kind-hearted saiyan blurted out his assurances in the former's direction. "Hey, no worries! Just take a seat and I'll explain all of it to you." _I wouldn't be able to pull this off without his help anyway._

Grabbing onto the second chair with an iron grip, Broly sank down upon the fragile thing with a heavy 'thud'… permanent scowl still etched upon his visibly bored features.

"Hurry it up Kakarot… or be prepared to kiss your **dump** of a house goodbye." _Boy, will I __**enjoy**__ seeing his face while doing it._

Ignoring the blunt 'remark-cum-threat', Goku plastered on an oddly serene smile before laying out his mysterious proposal in front of his fellow saiyan.

"Alright, if it's not too much trouble, **this** is what I want you to do…"

* * *

"..."

Broly, for the first time in a long time, had been completely taken aback… and with good reason.

_He can't be serious..._

**[Countdown: FINISHED!]**

* * *

**AN: The biggest chapter thus far… done!**

**The moment that you have all been waiting for, with utmost patience and righteous anticipation, has finally arrived! (aka 'Chapter 12') **

**Alright then, I would like to personally thank all of my reviewers for their invaluable input and suggestions over the course of this fanfic. It's thanks to the vast assortment of thoughts and ideas given by them that this story has managed to reach this enviable stage.**

**Hopefully, the following chapters will live up to the mark set by their predecessors (and perhaps even 'exceed' that limit).**

**Until next time -**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter XI: The underdog and the challenger

**Disclaimer: DB is not my personal property. Srsly, you all should know that by now (LOL!)**

**AN: Wow! What an amazing response for such an experimental chapter! I had definitely not expected it to be received in such a positive manner by you all. **

**Personally speaking, the debuts of both, Mr. Satan and Videl, was an area of minor concern for me… seeing as they will be playing semi-important roles in the thick of things from here on out.**

**Though, I'm definitely glad that this chapter lived up to the expectations previously set and made my readers eager for more! I'm also quite excited to see that more people (aka: new readers) have taken a liking for this story as well.**

**So, in the well-spoken words of 'Bane' himself: **

"**Let the games BEGIN!"**

* * *

**Kame House –**

"(Ptuui!) WHAT?! Are you out of your mind Krillin?"

The morning had, in all honesty, turned to be of the peaceful sort… up till that point.

Not so much for a certain martial arts master however; student's words nearly causing the former to experience his 'first ever' stroke!

Wiping the residue of beer from his lips, Master Roshi adjusted his lopsided shades, eyes scanning his protégé from head to toe the whole while. _He __**cannot**__ be serious about this._

Getting up from his perch and walking around the small table to be able to get a closer look at the bald male, the hermit promptly sat down with a sigh before addressing the former.

"Listen son…"

Keeping his gaze glued onto the wooden floor, Krillin chose to simply keep mum for the moment... teacher's words making his ears turn slightly red.

"… I know that this'll be hard for you to swallow, but I, as your master and trainer, just **cannot** allow you to throw your life away like this."

"!"

Raising his head for the first time that morning was something that took both, the ex-monk and his aged sensei, by surprise. The utter shock and confusion present within the short warrior's orbs also served to tell the entire story.

"W-What? What do you mean master?"_  
_

Left completely cornered, the wise hermit took his time to come up with an adequate response… knowing in his heart of hearts that the following truth would be hard for his obedient student to swallow.

_(Sigh!) Well, it's about time that I woke him up... for good._

"I… won't lie to you about anything Krillin. You 'yourself' should be well-aware of the truth that I'm about to tell you."

"..."

Keeping a firm grip upon his silence, the Z Fighter mentally prepared himself for the statement... that had yet to reach his ears.

Taking in a calming breath, the old man ploughed on, knowing that if he didn't speak up now… he probably will never get the chance to again, present circumstances considered.

_I must tell him to stop this foolishness. Not only will he get himself killed out there… but he'll probably also distract Goku and the others from doing their job right._

"My boy, Cell is a being far beyond your level. Frankly speaking, in all of my centuries worth of experience, I've never, **ever** come across a creature as powerful as him."

Knowing that his blunt words might just destroy what meager amount of courage the short man had manage to muster up, Master Roshi placed a comforting hand upon the latter's trembling shoulder.

_Poor kid, I guess I should have rephrased that a little._

* * *

"…"

Krillin's self-esteem had taken a severe beating in that one moment. It had plummeted to depths from which retrieval was nigh impossible... sole reason being the cold truth that his master's words held within them; harsh reality of the situation also being reflected through the former.

Ever since he had begun training for the saiyan's imminent arrival, a few years back, he had (inwardly) known that his sheer 'value' within the team would have to be, inevitably, compromised with.

All that he had needed from that point on, it would seem, was a wake-up call of sorts. One that would finally open his eyes towards the cold reality that had become his very life.

The day that the bald human fighter would be reminded of his real worth had finally arrived… and how.

Trying to rein in his emotions as best as he could, Krillin finally mustered up the courage to speak up... brow furrowing slightly as he did so, "B-But master… I… I **can't** let Goku and the others down. They're counting on me to-"

"No they're NOT!"

"!"

Completely taken aback by the change in his, normally chilled out, teacher's tone, the former monk wisely opted to keep his mouth shut.

"…"

Cursing his failure of emotional control, Roshi began to mentally remember the very reason as to **why** he had grown so sentimental within the past few minutes. What with the topic being centered around his precious pupil as such.

_I should've known that this day would come sooner or later. So what if he didn't feel an inferiority complex with Goku? That was only a temporary luxury for me to enjoy anyway… his heart was obviously feeling the hurt yet the poor fella never openly expressed it._

Removing his hand from the silenced male's shoulder, the turtle hermit once again spoke… but with a softer undertone, "Look Krillin, you should know by now that you're not answerable to everybody. They can take care of themselves, that's why they've trained for so long. Do you think that you'll be able to make **any** difference by getting killed out there today?"

Unable to respond, Krillin merely kept his lips sealed; latter decision allowing his sensei to finally cut loose.

"Don't try to think that Goku is counting on you to do something that you can't. No one is that heartless **or** stupid… not even Goku."

...

Getting up from his position before heading over to the kitchen to grab another drink, Roshi kept a close watch upon his student from the corner of his right eye.

"To cut a long story short, you just cannot hope to keep up with them… no matter how hard you try. Cell won't even have to 'touch' you to wipe you out." _Such is the fate rewarded to us, humans, by our limitations._

Glancing over his shoulder at the mute man onto his right, the bearded master raised a solitary eyebrow… noticing how the former tightened his grip upon his knees; knuckles turning white due to his internal frustration no doubt.

"You know that, don't you?"

* * *

Sucking in a huge breath of air to calm his nerves, that had gone into a state of overdrive all of a sudden, _He just __**had**__ to nip me in the bud didn't he,_ Krillin too got up from his perch… before making his way to the door.

"Yeah. I do."

Returning to the drawing room, fresh can of root beer in hand, Roshi adopted a surprised look upon his face before stating the obvious.

"Eh? Are you still going to go and die again Krillin? Even after knowing that you stand no chance to-"

...

Whipping his head around to face the man, the former monk maintained the position of raw eye-contact whilst giving words to his volcanic emotions… "Trust me when I say this master… those guys need me more than **I** need them."

Lowering his gaze upon the floor, the man soon adopted a sad smile, one bordering on acceptance and recently garnered maturity, before continuing.

"It's… definitely taken me a good while to figure that one out though, Hehehe."

Returning his focus onto his current task, Krillin promptly blasted off towards the area where several 'life or death' battles would soon take place... mind made up about what his role would be through it all.

* * *

**Back with an impressed hermit –**

Stroking his snow-white beard with a knowing smile, the wise elder could've sworn that he saw a familiar gleam in his pupil's eye... during the short time that the latter was uttering his parting words.

"That Krillin, always the big dreamer. Can't say that I blame him either… he'd never be able to live it down knowing that he couldn't be there for his friends when the going got tough."

Taking note of the fact that the tide around his little island had begun to pick up, an ominous sign of the chaos soon to follow, the seasoned martial arts instructor ended his internal debate; pensive expression soon replacing his prior look of nostalgia.

"Yes. It would be too much for the poor lad to take. He'd rather **die** fighting than live the rest of his life being known as a coward."

Tightening the hold that he had upon his sturdy staff, the man spoke out to the silent sea ahead of him… hoping that his words would reach the heart of his hardworking student.

"Good luck Krillin. Try to stay alive long enough so that Goku can see you for the man that you have managed to become."

**Kee-wee! Kee-wee!**

His prayers, it would seem, had been heard… no less by a pair of curious sea-gulls perched upon his home's red-colored roof.

* * *

**Somewhere in the northern hemisphere –**

Flying for what had been a solid 20 minutes, _W__here were supposed to meet anyway?_ the bald monk let out a sigh of impatience due to his inability to locate his comrade's energies; mind now clear of any and all doubts that if he was destined to die again… it would be in this very battle. Period.

His focused search meanwhile, soon bore fruit.

"!" _Aha! I found one of them!_

Beginning his descent onto solid ground, Krillin promptly allowed his aura to die down… latter act allowing the breeze to flow across his face and body; blood pumping faster within his small frame due to the familiar feeling.

_Ooh boy,_ a nervous swallow and he was ready to greet his companion, _It's finally time to see if all our training's paid off huh?_

…

Approaching the first person that he could see, dry landscape making his eyesight become a tad bit distorted, the man chuckled knowingly… left hand rubbing the back of his chrome-like head. _I just knew that __**he**__ of all people would be here first._

…

Standing atop a rock that oversaw the entire landscape ahead of him, trademark cape billowing gracefully in tandem with the gentle wind, a green-skinned warrior kept his composure intact… mind refusing to show any sort of emotion whatsoever; present circumstances being of the type that **demanded** complete and utter focus.

_At long last, the moment to see if our combined power is enough to stand up against this monster has arrived._

Arms crossed and eyes shut, Piccolo kept mum as his sharp senses picked up the arrival of his bald-headed companion.

_Hm, look who decided to show up early._

...

"Hey Piccolo! Watcha doin' up there?"

Trying to ignore the unintended insult to his 'style quotient', the tall namekian opened his dark eyes to glance at the former. _He still needs to work on a few things though._

"Nothing that you should be concerned about Krillin."

Recalling a certain factor that had been bothering him for the past few days, the normally silent Z Fighter soon added, "Tell me this, have you heard anything from Goku lately?"

Confused at the straightforward question, the short warrior thought hard before replying, "Uh… no, not really."

Feeling as if a burden had been lifted off of his mind, Piccolo let loose a mental sigh; imposing frame still in place. _I thought so._

Returning to the task at hand, he promptly looked out and towards the west… senses having picked up on a couple of more energies, big ones, heading their way.

_Good. __**Now**__ we're getting somewhere._

* * *

Landing a few meters to the right of their associates, Trunks adopted a friendly smile, albeit with slight difficulty given the situation that they were presently embroiled in.

"Hey Trunks, Vegeta! How've you been?" Krillin yelled out with obvious enthusiasm, innate excitement at having seen his comrades after 10 straight days being sky high.

...

Choosing to ignore the overtly excited cue-ball, the prince of all saiyans simply scoffed at the display instead.

"Hmph. We're not here to exchange pleasantries baldy."

Plastering on a mocking smirk, he soon added, "Although, I hope that you don't die too quickly. The games will get far too **boring** if that happens."

Shaking his head at the older male's usual attitude, Trunks began to address the former guardian of the earth… heart and mind feeling more focused and determined than ever.

"Um, I know that it's not my place to ask you this but did you… er, find something out while training in the time chamber?"

"…" _Cheeky kid._

Rewarding the youth with an intense glare, Piccolo eventually relented and offered the former a curt reply instead, "No. I'd already reached the limits of my power the last time I went in. My goal this time around was to harness my powers to absolute perfection."

Letting out an amused grunt, Vegeta produced one of his infamous remarks once more.

"Sounds like someone's gotten a bit too obsessed with being able to stand up to Cell."

Not in the mood to argue with the haughty prince, Piccolo snapped back; tone as light and calm as ever, "You're one to talk Vegeta. I know that Cell's been the **only** thing on your mind ever since he beat you to the ground."

"…!" _Why that little-!_

"How **dare** you mock me namek! If we weren't working together on this shitty plan I'd teach you a thing or-!"

"Hey! It's Tien and Yamcha!"

The animated cry from his own flesh and blood made the enraged saiyan noble halt his rant, mind returning to it's previous 'amused' mood due to the available opportunity.

_Heh, well well, if it isn't 'dumb and dumber'._ **(AN: The reference just came to me, don't judge!)**

* * *

Landing smoothly upon the hard soil, Tien glanced briefly at the gathered company before speaking… "I guess we made it just in time."

From behind him, an equally relieved Yamcha let out a low whistle at the 'reunion', "Phew! Time for me to show that Cell who's boss, Hehe!"

"…" _What did mom even __**see**__ in him?_

"…" _Fool. I bet he gets killed first._

"…" _Aw man… of all the days to __**not**__ be serious._

"…" _If he's around while we face off against Cell, we're done for._

"…" _(Sigh) I should have come alone. I bet Chiaotzu's laughing behind my back about this_.

Not getting the expected reaction to his empowered statement, the scar-faced former bandit proceeded to keep quiet lest he be at the receiving end of a certain prince's venomous words.

_Damn, now I'm all depressed about having to face that guy._

Opting to ease the mood, atleast by a tad, the man then opened his mouth to spew out a quick suggestion. "C'mon you guys, lighten up! Atleast we'll all be together through this right?"

Looking to his left… and then his right, a visibly desperate Yamcha eventually began to feel the coldness seep in.

_Right?_

* * *

Having had enough with the human's incessant fooling around, Vegeta let out an impatient growl, "To **hell** with Kakarot and that freak, I'll just go and take care of Cell myself!"

**WHOOSH! **

Not even waiting for his declaration to be acknowledged by any of the others, the flame-haired saiyan blasted off towards the gigantic ki signature that was emanating from the area towards the east.

_This time… it will be __**me**__ who does him in. Cell is only mine to defeat!_

…

Left totally dumbfounded by the man's hasty nature, not that he hadn't seen it in action before, Trunks made eye-contact with Piccolo for a brief moment before taking to the air himself… simple nod from the latter being the reason for his doing so.

_If I allow him to get his way again who knows what'll happen. We __**must**__ stick to our plan right now, it's the only way that we can face a powerhouse like Cell._

Glancing behind him just to be sure, the demi-saiyan from the future let a small smile grow across his lips. _Good. They got the message._

Four other specks soon followed him as he dashed after his fuming parent; trail of transparent ki behind him being several miles long (length-wise).

The sight was not one to last however; place that harbored their common foe coming into the Z Fighter's radar sooner than initially expected.

...

The super namek glared down at the figure that stood at the center of the giant ring, onyx pupils zoning onto the face of said figure. _There he is._

"...!"

Eyes widening for a brief moment, he soon smirked before glancing behind his shoulder at the three dots that had appeared over the horizon.

_Hmph, and then there were three._

* * *

**In the ring –**

"…" _About time. I was beginning to think that they'd chickened out._

Holding in his righteous amusement, for the time being, the nefarious bio-android was at his mocking best… not even sparing a mere glance towards any of the members belonging to the gathered company.

_The poor fools think that they'll win on the basis of sheer numbers do they? Hmhmhm. Well I think it's time that they learned that quantity can __**never**__ hope to surpass quality._

The cunning creature's internal musings were soon forced to be put on hold however.

"...!" _Hm?_

Picking up on the energies that concerned him the most, if one could call it that, Cell raised a solitary eyebrow at the three ki signatures that were heading his way.

At breakneck speed.

_Ah... __**there**__ he is. I've been waiting with far too much patience for him to show up._

Choosing to remain patient whilst all of the Z Fighters took their respective positions on one side of the ring, the monstrosity kept his one eye fixated upon the leader of the trio that was just about to land.

_Come Son Goku, your doom awaits._

* * *

**By the side of the ring –**

Having picked up the arrival of his best friend (and two others with him), Krillin couldn't help but get misty-eyed at the knowledge that everything, no matter what any of the others said or believed, would soon be all right.

"Goku! Over here!"

Waving them over, the diminutive man grinned wide as his pal reciprocated the gesture.

"Hiya Krillin! You guys made it early."

Scratching the back of his head, the jolly saiyan nodded in the direction of his other comrades... receiving a nod in return from all except for a certain, understandably annoyed, prince.

Undeterred by the proud male's attitude, Goku smiled down at his son, eyes possessing a strange glint as he did so. _At last, it's your turn to be a hero Gohan._

"…?"

Looking up at his father, curious expression in place, young Gohan chose then to openly express his doubts to the man, "Dad?"

Snapped out of his mental state, the spiky-haired hero replied almost instantly, "Huh? What is it son?"

Scratching his cheek with a finger, the boy looked left and right before bringing to light the 'issue' that had been bothering him… since day one.

"Uh well… are you **sure** that we can do this in our current state? I mean, Cell's so powerful and he probably is even stronger than what we've seen up until now."

Merely smiling down at the youngster's righteous concern, Goku gave the former's head a one-handed rub before offering a reply to his query, "I don't **think** that we can win Gohan, I **know** we can."

...

Still not thoroughly convinced by his father's optimistic words, Gohan opened his mouth to speak once more… before an interruption, courtesy of a 'highly unlikely' individual, pulled him back.

"Trust your father on this one brat. He knows what he's doing."

"!" _Wha-?_

Whipping his head in the direction of the gruff voice, Gohan, as well the rest of the group, sported expressions of pure shock and genuine surprise at the words uttered by the tall saiyan.

The latter was more due to his positive words 'in favor' of Goku rather than him having spoken in general.

* * *

"..."

Raising an eyebrow (again) at the proceedings that were occurring some meters onto his left, Cell couldn't help but feel intrigued by the unfamiliar stranger. Almost as if the mysterious man held the key to the ultimate test of his **own** perfection.

_If my memory serves me right, this fighter alone holds a level of power that far exceeds the combined power of both, Vegeta **and** Trunks. Hm, maybe I should… yes, that's it._

Smiling devilishly at the idea, the evil being began to plan his next move with the gusto of a professional chess player.

_Yes… I'll allow him to taste my power soon but only __**after**__ letting him witness it in full flow._

Having set things up just the way he wanted them to be, Cell was about to address his small audience... before…

**VMMMM! BRRRR!**

"…?" _Another one of those pitiful worms? I thought I had made it clear that they stood no match against me._

* * *

**While Cell had been busy with his crafty thoughts –**

Having recovered from the initial shock, the demi-saiyan let an unsure smile appear upon his features before his line of sight was blocked by another tall figure appearing out of the blue.

"16?! You came too?"

"..."

Meeting the eyes of the boy who had befriended him in the short time that they had known one another, the 'now' fully functional android merely smiled back... before stating his reasons for having shown up; monotonous tone being all too familiar to the gathered troupe.

"Yes. I decided that if my services were needed to defeat a being like Cell, then I should most certainly arrive on time to assist you all."

Mood brightening up instantly at the noble machine's answer, Gohan nearly grinned both of his cheeks apart… equally excited father mimicking his actions in tandem before offering his own greetings to the android.

"Wow, thanks! We sure could use the help."

"…"

Turning towards the taller of the two, the mohawk-sporting metal-man immediately adopted a more serious tone of voice.

"However, I still intend to kill Son Goku after all of this is done and dealt with. My programming orders me to do so."

Adopting an uneasy grin at the bold declaration, the man in question simply rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before glancing towards his former rival.

"Hm? What's up Piccolo? You've been real quiet today."

Holding in his retort, the tall namekian responded in as even a tone as possible, in light of the fact that his student and pseudo-son was also present, "I'm fine Goku. If you must know, I'm silent due to the fact that we're soon going to partake in the fight of our lives." _If one could even call it that. Cell isn't going to offer any of us even a drop of mercy, __**that's**__ for sure._

Coming to his pal's rescue, Krilln promptly spoke at that point, "Hey, don't get all worked up Piccolo. I mean, we haven't even started fighting yet."

Arms folded as all three of his eyes remained fixated upon the dastardly being in front of him, Tien responded to his friend in a deft tone of voice, "Not yet… but we **will** soon."

…

Raw confidence radiating off of his very frame, Goku turned towards the creature standing in the middle of the ring before frowning… powers of intense focus and concentration being brought into play as his fists tightened into balls stronger than the hardest steel. Literally.

_Yosh, here we go._

**VRRRR!**

"…?"

His approach had to be (momentarily) postponed however.

_Huh? What's that?_

* * *

**On the opposite side of the large ring –**

The booming sound of large rotors being spun at a frightening speed died down as the impressive contraption finally touched solid earth, bright yellow color gleaming in the morning sun as the insignia of the former's owner stood out in as proud a manner as possible.

**CLANG!**

An opened hatch and the present company had, for the first time, come face-to-face with the 'world champion of martial arts' himself.

...

"YAAAA!HAHA! Prepare yourself Cell! I've come to teach you a lesson through my fists!"

…

Left utterly speechless at the random stranger's boast, Cell simply kept his poker face in place whilst the former continued on with his overtly loud outbursts.

_Who is this idiot? _was the only thought running through his unimpressed mind.

…

Noticing how his other two 'exclusive' guests had yet to get out of the jetcopter, Hercule glanced behind him for a second before yelling, "HEY! Don't the two of you have a job to do? Hurry up and get on out here!"

Scrambling past the several belts, medals and trophies (in short, 'junk') that had been crammed into the front half of the vehicle, a reporter, with a haircut that was more oily and greasy than the type seen on television soaps, made his way out of the pile of accolades… hapless cameraman in tow.

"Phew! Sorry about that Mr. Satan. The vast collection of your enviable achievements stood in our way, Ha-ha!"

A careless nod was all that the man received in return for his unbridled flattery.

* * *

Clearing his throat before addressing the world at large, the bespectacled reporter then began to bellow his usual lines out to the former.

_"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! Today is the day that we witness the Cell Games take place at large! Ohhh what a day it is indeed. A day when mankind's fortunes will **finally** take a turn for the better… all at the hands of Mr. Satan himself!"_

Keeping the mike at arms-length, the man soon whispered out certain instructions in the direction of his cameraman.

"Pssst! Is the camera rolling properly? We don't want any mistakes while filming is going on understand?"

Nodding in compliance, said cameraman gave his senior a confident thumbs up, "Don't worry boss, we're good to go for the whole day. I got more tape in my bag than what the whole **studio** had to offer."

Smiling victoriously, the pleased reporter turned over to the star of the day.

_"So Mr. Satan, what do you think of the gathered company that has shown up today? Will these opponents present you with enough of a challenge?"_

_"…"_

Glancing over at the small group of fighters at the opposite side of the ring, Hercule scoffed his thoughts out loud before barking his words into the small mike, _"Heh, are you kiddin'? I can handle those freaks with my eyes closed! Why, I bet they just came here to support my victory... for kicks! BWAHAHA!"_

…

Staring in bemusement at the trio, Yamcha couldn't help but word his immediate feelings out, "Man, what a dope."

Nodding his head twice, Tien promptly complied with the ex-bandit, "For once, I'm inclined to agree with you Yamcha. It's painfully obvious to me that this 'Satan' guy doesn't even know what he's getting himself into."

...

While the two human warriors were conversing with one another, Broly kept his cold gaze set firmly upon the green 'bug' situated in the middle of the ring.

_Meh, what a scrawny bastard he turned out to be. Hopefully he doesn't bore me to death._

Rolling his eyes to catch a glimpse of what all the commotion was about, over at the opposite side of the ring, he soon let out an annoyed grunt at the sight. _Pitiful, noisy trash._

* * *

**Meanwhile, inside the jetcopter –**

"…"

Shuffling under some of the softer bags that served to cover her small form, Videl blinked twice at the bright light that had managed to penetrate the confines of the cramped space... before picking up on the booming voice of her boisterous father.

_Eh? Are we there already?_

Moving on all fours to get a better view from one of the few windows that were present along the sides of the vehicle, the girl nearly grinned at the impressive sight.

_Yes! Now I'll be able to see him fight for real!_

"...?"

Her excitement was soon replaced with righteous curiosity however... _Wow, those people look so... strange. Their outfits are nice though._

Coming to an impromptu realization, the young female widened her azure orbs at the thought.

_Hey wait, will they fight Cell too? But then… what about daddy? _

The thought was quite new to her, for her father had only partaken in 'one-on-one' matches before. This new concept had managed to take her completely by surprise.

Not that that was necessarily a bad thing… atleast in her eyes.

_They sure __**look**__ strong though, especially that tall one with the long hair, hmm…_

* * *

To be sure, the 'Cell Games' were truly and finally underway. All of the contestants had arrived and the stage was now set for a battle royale... of sorts.

The sole factor for concern though (atleast for the Z Fighters), was the plot that had been secretly cooked up by the devious Cell himself… now that the latter had come face-to-face with the mysterious saiyan warrior who had managed to pique his interest, several days back.

For Broly though, it was probably going to be just another day at the office.

...

Well, **he** thought so.

* * *

**AN: Done!**

**Took me a while to come to terms with this one. I felt that I could've probably skipped events up until the part where Mr. Satan meets the Z Fighters in person.**

**But hey, atleast things are going smoothly for the time being (aka: no event is being 'rushed into').**

**Oh! Here's my response to Luke's guess (for the last chapter): "Keep reading the fic to find out m8!"**

**Okay, before I leave you all to your devices, my question is this: **"**Should I involve reporter-san and his cameraman in future? Do you all want to see them more or should I only include Mr. Satan and Videl?"**

**Kindly answer this honest query through some more juicy reviews... if you will.**

**Ciao -**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter XII: Farewell, champ… and hello, challenger no.1

**Disclaimer: Still gathering all of my available funds for the hefty purchase. ;D**

**AN: Sorry if I forgot to mention this before but… "The 'Cell Games Arc' has officially begun!"**

**This shall also be the time during which my writing skills will be put to the ultimate test. **

**Honestly speaking, I've still got several doubts in relation to my abilities as an action-oriented author… latter being the main reason as to why I decided to drag things out a bit, in regards to the previous few chapters.**

**Still, I've got no regrets as far as the sheer 'content' of this fic is concerned. I got what I wanted to express 'out there' and that's all that matters at the end of the day.**

**So then, on with the story! (and its subsequent twists and turns!)**

* * *

Clearing his throat whilst tugging upon his smart-looking collar, the bespectacled reporter blew the dust off of his precious microphone before beginning the proceedings.

_"A very good morning to you all! We are gathered here today to bring to you, **live**, the very first day of the recently devised 'Cell Games'! And with us, ladies and gentlemen, is the, yet to be defeated, world martial arts champion, Mr. Satan!"_

Turning to the tall athlete, the man soon adopted a shit-eating smile, _"Your comments on today's line-up?"_

Not hesitating in the least, a thoroughly confident Hercule puffed his chest out before responding, _"Heh! Like I even **need** to comment on those amateurs!"_

Had the boastful champ known about his fellow combatants capabilities, he would have no doubt made sure to keep his 'invaluable' comments to himself. But as they say... ignorance is bliss.

_"Why, I'm actually feeling kinda sad for them cuz with **me** in the picture, none of them will even get the chance to fight today, Ha-ha!" _

Nodding his head upon every word that escaped the pompous man's lips, customary thanks following the former's response soon after, the reporter beckoned for his cameraman to follow his lead... latter reason being the catalyst that eventually brought them 'face-to-face' with the silent Z Fighters for the first time.

...

Having gotten within range of one of them at last, the man straightened his glasses before addressing the strangest looking of the lot, _"(Ahem!) So, what brings you to a tournament such as this? Surely you don't hope to 'fight' in your condition?"_

"..."

Staring at the offered mike with mild distaste before furrowing his brow slightly, shorter human's comment having made him spare the latter some 'minute' amount of attention, Piccolo decided to keep his voice low before replying, "What's that?"

Scratching at his cheek sheepishly, the greasy-haired man quipped, _"Uh well... you look a tad bit 'green'."_

"!" _Why that little...!_

Bringing his former personality well under control, the super namek sucked in a deep breath before offering his answer to the naive creature's observation. _I **honestly **prefer my older self in situations like these._

"For your information... I've **always** been this way."

Backing away slightly, gruff tone used by the tall individual in question having made him feel like a snubbed puppy, the reporter cleared his throat to escape embarrassment before turning over to another of the present combatants. _Well **excuse** me for not knowing about your medical problems. Hmph!_

"Boss."

Turning towards the call, associate's voice having brought him out of his musings, the befuddled anchor raised a single eyebrow... right palm covering the microphone in his grasp, "What is it?"

Merely pointing towards 'another' tall male onto their left, the cameraman followed his senior's lead with a victorious grin adorning his young face... mind obviously believing that he had hit the jackpot.

If only he knew.

* * *

"..."

Arms crossed as he kept more or less to himself, a raven-haired saiyan broadened his scowl upon discovering that the pair of annoying maggots were heading his way. _More garbage keeps piling up out of nowhere._

Reaching the spot where the aloof male stood, the hopeful reporter began his query with yet another forced smile, _"Hello there. Do you have any thoughts that you'd like to share with us on today's contest?"_

...

Glaring at the strange device... with nothing but hate shrouding his dark orbs, Broly stayed faithful to his personality and actually 'shared' his thoughts with the man, "Get out of my face. Now."

"...?"

Put completely off guard by the rude answer, the flabbergasted anchor began with his customary protest,_ "But don't you have anything-?"_

**BLAM!**

"YIKES!" _What in the world?!  
_

Having fired off a warning shot at the small space (that 'now' sported a painful looking singe; tiny wisp of smoke escaping it soon after) that lay between the man and his partner; right hand being the culprit since both of his arms were still crossed comfortably across his chest, the obviously irritated saiyan raised his voice... but only slightly.

"I don't like repeating myself. So go mind your own fucking business." _He's lucky that I'm bored as **hell** today._

* * *

**Some feet away -**

Grinning at the sight, Gohan couldn't help but laugh (along with an equally amused Krillin) at the flabbergasted faces of the two humans. The funny part in all of it though, was that Broly's reaction was thoroughly expected.

_Hehehe, I **do** feel sorry for those two though. He didn't have to scare the living daylights out of them._

**Whap! **

"...!" _Wha-?_

The reason for his surprise was the raised hand that had smacked him cleanly across the back of his blonde head.

The snickering boy had been, reluctantly, reprimanded by his pseudo-parent it would seem. Twas obvious that a mentally 'prepared' Piccolo wanted his pupil to focus upon the matters at hand... but at the same time, he also didn't want to snatch away the relaxed mood that had (thankfully) enveloped the youth's overburdened heart and mind at that stage.

"..."

Not meeting the curious lad's gaze, the tall Z Fighter choose to keep his thoughts to himself; signature silence being readily understood by the former as he nodded his head in a mute fashion at his teacher.

Thinking back onto the time that they had all been preparing themselves for the battle to come, Piccolo couldn't help but sport an unconvinced grimace, _I'll admit that he's grown a **lot** in the past three years. But... this just isn't his time. He **still** lacks the fortitude to win on his own. _

The hardened warrior made sure to disguise his emotions as best as he could, sensitive situation in front of him and his comrades being his prime reason for concern.

_Still, if he wants to do this, then I must make sure that he's not pressured into anything. It's the least that I can do for him now._

* * *

**Meanwhile, inside the ring -**

Wiping the sweat from his brow, as was customary before each and any of his big fights, Hercule smirked with unshakable confidence before leaping up an into the large ring… flashy poses and usual dialogue soon flowing the bold act.

"HAHA! Prepare yourself Cell, the world has sent its strongest to beat you to the ground!" _God, I love saying those lines!_

"…"

Staring at the man with a look that spelled utter 'boredom', the evil being merely unfolded his arms before glancing towards the group of fighters onto his immediate left.

_I can't __**believe**__ that I've got to deal with this lunatic before any of them. Oh well, some mild entertainment before a match is always a welcome luxury I suppose. _

A crooked smile had appeared upon his lips as he thought that.

Swiftly disposing of a troublesome crick in his neck, Cell wordlessly beckoned for the human to attack him… forefinger curved towards his torso as he adopted a mocking smirk himself. _Make your move insect… so that I may show you just how __**inferior**__ you really are._

...

Frowning deeply, as a warning signal rang within his alert mind, Goku tightened his fists in tandem as his heart began to feel heavy all of a sudden. _This is not good. If things get too messy then…_

Halting his thoughts for a brief moment, the spiky-haired saiyan looked over at his green-skinned comrade… eyes recognizing the look that was present within the latter's orbs. _Piccolo?_

Unable to contemplate just what was going through the namekian's mind at that point, Goku chose to keep his own thoughts to himself… ongoing event being the culprit for the same as he let a hint of nervousness creep into his psyche.

_Focus. If I let Cell get his way then… all of our efforts, all our training will have been for nothing._

With that thought in mind, earth's greatest hero remained standing like a solid mountain, ready to tackle and counter any and all of the storms thrown its way… whilst still holding onto its primary principle; to make sure that all of those dependent upon it would make it through safely and with as little trouble as possible.

...

"…!"

Raising a thick eyebrow at the cocky gesture, Hercule clenched his teeth before letting out a roar of effort; right fist sent flying in the direction of his opponent as his feet dashed towards the latter in tow, "URYAAAH!" _That this!_

* * *

**From inside a certain jetcopter -**

A mental cheer, from quite a fair distance away, was all that rung in favor of the world champ at that point.

_Yeah! Go daddy, show him what you're made of!_

Sticking her face uncomfortably against the cool glass, Videl kept a close watch upon all of the proceedings that were going on outside of her father's expensive vehicle. _Wow, there he goes._

Her keen eye was lapping up all that was on display in front of her; rare occurrence being of the sort that she simply 'could not' afford to miss. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the young girl, her idol was actually engaging a **real** opponent in front of her excited gaze.

_Now I'll finally get to see some of daddy's best moves! Yay!_

* * *

**WHAM! BAFF! THOP!**

A solid jab, right in the middle of the tall android's sternum, followed swiftly by a roundhouse kick aimed at the former's vulnerable neck gave the champion an easy opening. The lack of any response from his uninterested foe however, also encouraged him to soon add a hurried left chop into the deadly mix; body appearing somewhat like a blur... atleast to the normal viewer.

_Take that… and __**that**__, you ugly fiend! How do you like the power of my skills __**now**__, huh? _

Blow after furious blow upon the motionless Cell garnered absolutely no response from the creature whatsoever. It looked as if the human fighters hits were incapable of having any sort of affect upon him. At all.

...

Backing away by a couple of paces, the 'warmed up' veteran kept both of his fists at the ready and at his sides; mind trying to figure out as to **why** his opponent was still standing and acting as if he was unaffected by the former's vicious onslaught.

_Darn! I was too soft on the poor thing. Better make up for lost time then._

Pointing towards the tall creature, he then barked out his latest claim, to the muted cheers of his cheering daughter and mental 'agony' of the Z Fighters, "Hey you, I hope you don't start thinking that I'm gonna be going easy on you anytime soon!"

Sucking in a mighty gulp of air, the muscular male readied himself to unleash his trump card.

"Cuz I plan on showing you my best move yet! Hehe!"

Lowering his torso down to his knee level, the man crouched a bit more before using said leverage to garner the necessary momentum… one that would successfully kick him off and towards the direction of his opponent. Again.

"RAAAH!" a successful dash forward and Hercule was partially in mid-air, left knee bent slightly as he garnered the necessary power for the shot... careless target being in his line of sight.

The infamous 'Dynamite Kick' was ready for use... and only the swift recoil was to attempted.

**BRAM!**

The hefty move had landed successfully upon its target. However, the result was… 'lackluster' at best.

"..." _Grr! Is he even human?_

* * *

Having allowed the persistent **worm** to touch his perfect body, (his head no less) with his filthy boot, Cell stayed silent… electric blue eyes harboring a cold stare within as they kept the martial artist's hapless face within sight.

_The poor fool. His circus tricks are seriously beginning to bore me._

For Hercule, backing away once more and trying to reassess his next move seemed to be the best option at that point… the follow up grunt from his agape mouth also serving to remind the audience at large about his depleting levels of stamina.

_Why doesn't he react to any of my hits?! It's not like he's made of steel! I __**know**__ that I felt solid skin beneath my knuckles when I hit him!_

Trying not to yawn at the confused man, Cell decided that the deplorable charade had carried on for long enough. Strangely though, the cells of Freiza that he possessed were starting to become overtly active during that time as well… almost as if they were trying to assume total control (as far as his decision-making is concerned ) over him.

Not that he, the only 'perfect' being to ever exist, minded.

_If it helps me to rid myself of this infernal pest, then so be it._

He hadn't required a great deal of effort to come up with the above decision in any case, it was merely a matter of **when** he would choose to carry it through.

Hercule Satan's time, in short, was up.

…

Time seemed to have moved in slow motion during that period... for both, the Z Fighters at large as well as the excited nine-year old.

Earth's undefeated ad unbeaten (and presently 'disoriented') marital arts champion… hadn't even been able to pick up on the swift movements of his cunning adversary.

"!" _Wha-?_

**ZIP!**

A sudden change in the wind and the cybernetic creation had vanished completely from his line of sight.

_What the-? Where'd he go?_

* * *

**Tok! **

"...!"

Turning swiftly over to his immediate left, the baffled human discovered Cell, in all of his glory, looking down at him with all the distaste in the world; usage of the latter's superior speed having gone completely unnoticed by the fighter in question.

_Pathetic human. What made you think that I'd __**waste**__ my time playing with you?_

Beads of sweat had now formed upon the champ's forehead; deep crease that signaled tension and shock yet to dissipate completely as his mind raced. _H-How did he do that? He… He just… disappeared!_

Never having come across the likes of such a swift maneuver, the afro-sporting athlete could only utter one word… and one word only during his moment of realization.

"How?" _I-It's gotta be a trick. Yeah! Nobody can be that fast!_

...

Smirking down at the pitiful sight, Cell had only to put the man out of his misery and do a favor (of sorts) upon the world that he was soon about to destroy. _No real point in letting him live for a few minutes longer I suppose... seeing as I'm going to erase this pathetic world from the very face of existence anyway, hmhmhm. _

Before moving to dispose of the glaring piece of garbage, the villainous creature felt it to be mandatory to do something 'uncharacteristic'... yet polite.

Offer to the former a parting speech.

Raising his right forefinger and aiming it right between the eyes of the dumbfounded man in front of him, Cell spoke using the tone of a sadistic executioner, "Allow me to show you just why **you** are weak and **I** am perfect."

"?!"

* * *

**With an obviously worried Goku -**

_Crap! He'd better move or he's a goner!_

The words of the noble saiyan would have, unsurprisingly, met thin air at that point… seeing as his mental yell of caution seemed to have missed its mark completely.

His comrades, minus a certain pair of pure-blooded warriors, were also sporting expressions of concern for the vulnerable human in front of them. For they understood the sheer **danger** that Cell represented to the latter at that stage.

The unpredictability of the nefarious being in question was what made their spines turn cold with self-doubt and understandable hesitancy.

Clenching his fists tight, Goku readied himself to step in should things go awry. Which they, at present, were. _I've gotta get that guy outta there if Cell decides to quit playing around. This isn't a place for someone like him anyway._

"…?"

Noticing that he had been stared at for quite a while by the former guardian of the earth, the blonde man quickly made eye-contact with the former… whilst opting to use telepathy as an efficient means of communication.

_"What is it Piccolo?"_

Making sure to keep his views as brief as possible, the ever-serious namek stated his current thoughts, _"I know exactly what's going through your mind right now Goku… and that is precisely the reason why I'll give you this piece of advice."_

Left a tad bit perplexed at the notion, Goku simply chose to word out his confusion, _"Huh?"_

"_Don't try to step in and break any of the rules that Cell's set up. If you do, then whatever strategy we've managed to prepare so far would surely go to waste."_

Keeping his tone as mellow and composed as ever, the wise warrior reassured his friend and former rival about his logical plan.

_"Look, we've still got the dragon balls after all of this is done and dealt with. Besides, if none of us is even __**alive**__ by the end of today, what's the point in saving that sorry excuse for a fighter?"_

"…" _He's got a point._

Having made sure that his views were understood by the saiyan, Piccolo ended their little discussion on a pensive, yet positive, note. _"Don't worry about him. We've **already** got our hands full with Cell alone… not that I've forgotten about your little 'friend' over there."_

The sharp gaze of the super namek had fallen upon the tall and imposing figure of Broly at that point... Goku's following suit.

_"Oh yeah! Hehe! I'm kinda curious about how he'll do against Cell myself."_

An amused scoff from his compatriot was all that he received for his honest confession though... all of it being in good taste nonetheless.

_"Hmph, typical. You and your sickening thirst for a challenge never ceases to surprise me."_

On that note, Piccolo cancelled the link between their thoughts before returning his attention onto the tension-filled moment at present.

_I honestly don't harbor any dislike for the guy. But I can understand just **why** Goku's so worried about him. He obviously isn't going to last long unless he gets out of there… fast._

The rest of the gathered company, unsurprisingly enough, were thinking along similar lines.

* * *

**Back with the 'battle' -**

...

A bitter second had managed to pass by them both, allowing atleast **one** of the two individuals to take in a solitary breath... before said fighter was, permanently, put out of commission.

"You… lose."

**PING!**

* * *

**With Videl –**

"…?" _What is daddy doing? Why doesn't he hit him?_

The naïve child had yet to understand the sheer gravity of the situation. Seeing as all that she **had** seen till that point, was the one-sided bravado of her over-the-top parent… doing what he did best.

_C'mon, use the 'Maximum Power Punch' before he attacks,_ she wailed, obviously not wanting to see her father get hurt or even slightly bruised in any way.

Her fervent prayers however, were not to be answered that day... unsurprisingly enough.

* * *

"…"

Left thoroughly paralyzed due to the sudden adrenaline rush occurring within his system, courtesy of his shock and fear, Hercule made no move to dodge the sudden flash of light that had been thrown his way in the form of a thin beam.

Much to his ruthless opponent's genuine amusement.

_Just as I thought, his primitive mind far outshines his abysmal reflexes. It's baffling the kind of processor that these humans have been calling their 'brains' for so many years._

The fired death beam took little time to pierce right through the frozen man's cranium… leaving a singed hole in its wake as the latter soon crashed onto the hard ground with a resounding 'thump'.

...

All was silent except for the gentle breeze that had decided, right then, to blow past the corpse that lay at the Cell's feet.

"Well, that cares of that," he stated, in a 'matter-of-fact' manner... casual approach to the swift murder thoroughly expected from one such as him.

* * *

**Back to a 'now' distraught child –**

"…!" _N-NOOOO!_

Her muted **scream** of denial was only meant to be heard by the angel of death. The illustrious daughter had lost the one thing in her life that had always managed to define her very existence.

Her father.

Stuck inside of the jetcopter, **her** chosen place of hiding, young Videl Satan shed a waterfall of pained tears over the loss of her parent… grief being of the unimaginable sort, considering the circumstances.

"(Sob!) DAAAADDDDYYYY!"

This time she screamed her heart out, warm, gushing liquid trickling down her rosy cheeks as she lost the reason to care if someone heard her crying or not. Nothing mattered to her except for the fact that she had lost her second parent… the one who had prevented her from being labeled as an orphan.

Her world had literally come crashing down all around her small frame, as she lay there with clenched fists tightened into balls that would have shed her own blood had her nails been any longer.

_NOOO! (Sniff!) COME __**BACK**__ DADDY!_

Incessant cries and calls for her lost father were to fall upon deaf ears at that point… seeing as her throat had already grown parched and dry; eyes red, swollen and blinded with sparkling tears as she continued with her wailing.

...

The first day of the Cell Games, that she had so wanted to see and experience, had ended up delivering its first casualty.. in the form of her father, the world champ no less.

It had, without a single shred of doubt, turned into her **worst** nightmare… one that she was desperate to wake up from.

Being stuck inside of a jetcopter, that had lost its owner, proved to be her undoing though... outside world completely forgotten by the heart-broken female. She had witnessed as well as 'felt' the pangs of true loss during those few seconds of her young life.

The ruthless murder of her father was an event that would leave her heart scarred forever.

It was truly a horrific scene... one that she would never be able to forget.

* * *

**Outside the space that harbored the mourning juvenile –**

Arms crossed once more, Cell wordlessly kicked the lifeless man's body up and into the air, effectively making sure that it crashed heavily into a nearby cliff-face… before dropping like a rock into the deep valley right below it; lost to the world.

_Good riddance._

Turning towards his speechless contestants, menacing smile back in its rightful place, the creature soon spoke… in a tone oft associated with a game show host, "Now that we have gotten rid of the uncalled-for interruption... let the games begin!"

Needless to say, his announcement garnered absolutely no applause from his limited audience.

* * *

**Amidst the Z Fighters -**

Not showing the least bit concern **or** interest for the recently killed human, Vegeta merely looked on as the rest of the gathered troupe sported looks of horror and sheer disbelief_. _

_Pfff, he had it coming. That's what happens when your bark is worse than your bite._

Having finally gotten the chance to showcase his true mettle against the all-powerful bio-android, or atleast, having gotten 'close' to doing so, the prince of all saiyans kept his gaze situated upon the artificial being as the latter ploughed on with his histrionics.

_I wish he'd hurry it up because I haven't got all day! _

It came as no surprise that his, along with a certain other fighter's, patience had begun to wear thin by then. No thanks to the unforeseen interruption by the 'late' world champ and the ever-preachy Cell.

...

Tapping his forefinger against his bicep, arms crossed across his broad chest as he watched on with a cold stare, Broly, to be sure, was **not** happy with the start that things had gotten. A cruel smirk however, soon made its presence felt upon his lips.

_Heh, that guy's really starting to get on my nerves. I wish that he'd just **can** it and get on with things… it's not like there's only one or two of us for him to fight against anyway._

"…"

Meeting the eyes of his enemy for the first time that day, albeit reluctantly, the tall saiyan simply kept mum as the former nodded his way. _Kakarot… you'd better stick to your end of the deal._

His mind clear on what his role would be during the course of the ensuing battle against the bug-like creature, the legend shut his eyes for a brief second to gather his thoughts.

A deep breath of the cool air around him and he was ready to rumble.

_Hm. Time to show these weaklings that even __**I've**__ learnt to control my power._

* * *

**Back with the host –**

Gauging all of the present combatants, by scanning said group from one end to the other, Cell soon sported a satisfied smile at the sight. _Good, things will surely be interesting... if nothing else._

Zoning in on his intended opponent, he immediately addressed the latter.. even though his words were meant to be taken in the general sense, "And now, if my first challenger would be kind enough to step onto the ring."

"…"

Wordlessly leaping onto the hard floor of the impressive stage, the fighter in question spoke with nothing but confidence reflecting off his words, "I'll go first… if you don't mind."

Smirking at the man, Cell unfolded his arms before cracking his knuckles in a stylish manner. _At last._

"Oh that's quite alright, I suppose you **want** to make your friends witness your humiliating defeat, hm?"

Choosing to remain silent for a moment, the determined Z Fighter cracked his own knuckles before going through his signature stretches; first one leg then the other. _Heh, he's as confident as I expected him to be. This'll be a hard nut to crack._

Having prepared himself to his satisfaction, the challenger then spoke using a friendly tone of voice, "I'd like to tell you something before we begin though."

Raising an eyebrow at the new development, Cell kept his lips sealed… thus giving the indication for his opponent to proceed. _I hope he doesn't start with one of his 'heroic speeches' again. I've seriously begun to despise those._

Adopting a mysterious glint within his eye, the male continued on, "You, Cell, won't be alive by the end of today."

"...?" _Aah... a confident statement up front. Impressive.  
_

"…!" _Did dad **actually** say what I think he just said?_

Soon recovering from the unexpected quote, Cell offered his adversary a genuine smile; hands executing a mocking display of appreciative applause in tandem. "Well well, that's certainly 'new' if nothing else."

The chatty mood soon ended, along with the pleasantries.

Eyeing the calm warrior with a cocky smirk, the devious creature stated one, final request.

"If I may, I would like to commend you on your passionate choice of words…"

* * *

"…"

Catching onto the shifty look that had flashed across his opponent's cruel blue eyes, the ever-ready saiyan brought up his guard without further hesitation. _Here he comes!_

* * *

"… with THIS!"

Teleporting right in front of the man, Cell crashed his right fist into the former's rib-cage…

**Chwing! (AN: Remember?)**

... though connecting only with thin air in the process.

Bringing his extended fist back by his side, the amused 'masterpiece' of Dr. Gero's research thought with an evil smile, _He's__ quick… I'll give him that. _

Searching left and right for his target, the evil android widened his eyes before side-stepping a ferocious axe-handle kick… one that soon decimated the spot that he had previously been standing upon; rubble been blown into the air as the impact of the blow created a small crater. _Sneaky too._

**BAM! BAM! BAM BAM!**

Dashing forward and towards his dodging opponent, the focused warrior unleashed a heavy barrage of combos that made it difficult for the former to counter-attack. Punch after punch was thrown in the direction of his foe's face and torso as the latter blocked or parried each one in turn.

A series of jabs around Cell's head area and his lower torso had been left thoroughly exposed to the determined fighter's eyes.

_Gotcha!_

**BLAM!**

"Ungh!"

A grunt of effort and the cybernetic being had managed to cover his vulnerable area in the nick of time; teeth gritted in tandem with his left forearm blocking the right knee strike by his persistent foe as the both of them remained lodged in a contest of wills… the attacker hovering in mid-air as his aura flared out in a fierce manner.

Smiling up at the saiyan, Cell shared his thoughts in a teasing manner, "Good, you're certainly better than what I've heard about you."

...

Smirking, for the first time that morning, the challenger promptly returned the compliment; body still hovering in mid-air as his knee remained lodged against his adversary's forearm, "Likewise."

Scowling at the calm demeanor of the man, Cell repelled the former's limb out of the way before beginning his own assault... mood soured slightly by his opponent's confident reply. _Hmph._

**TAK! TAK! FWIP!**

A couple of quick blows aimed for the face, each being dodged successfully by the challenger as he weaved his head to his right and then his left; raised hand parrying each of the hits successfully, Cell soon followed the one-two combination with a swift leg sweep... though the latter was also countered by the focused fighter.

"Yaaa!"

"Haaa!"

Eventually, both of the combatants clashed together by reaching out and grabbing each others palms. The maneuver caused them to be locked into close combat once again; powerful palms interlocked into a stand-off…

**BAM!**

... before a sudden head-butt by the more 'creative' of the two caught the other off-guard once again.

"Ugh! Blast it!" _He's good._

Backing off by a few paces, Cell fired off a bright yellow ki blast at the warrior in front of him... left arm raised and palm stretched outwards akin to a 'big bang attack'.

Needless to say, the saiyan in question dodged it with ease yet again.

* * *

"..." _There he goes using that infernal trick again. _

Remaining in the same position for a few painfully long seconds, the ever-patient host chose to simply ignore the onlooking Z Fighters... his attention being reserved solely for his missing opponent. _He's on the move._

**Chwing!**

"!" _There you are. _

Frowning slightly, Cell turned upon his heel before landing a hard blow upon the sneaky combatant's face. _Ha! Too predictable._

**WHAM!**

"Argh!"

Landing ungracefully upon his back, dust been thrown about as he ended up on one side of the ring due to the force of the unexpected blow, Goku promptly used the momentum of the latter to propel himself back onto his feet.

**Fwip!** _Phew! He's not easy to get around. I'll have to be more careful next time._

...

Having understood each other's styles of approach, from their brief scuffle, the two high-level fighters stared each other down as their audience watched on with unblinking eyes.

Dusting his hands off, Cell smiled at his adversary.

"I hope you don't mind me getting the first hit. I'd like to ask you though… just what **is** that little trick that you keep using?"

Straightening up to his full height, Goku smiled back without a sliver of hesitation, "Nothing much, just instant transmission."

**VOOOOM!**

Grinning evilly, the crafty android raised both of his hands up and into the air, forming 'all-too-familiar' discs as he did so, "Instant huh? Let's see."

The two, overly large, destructo discs began to hum with fearsome power before their user flung them in the direction of their target… both aiming to 'slice and dice' the latter into innumerable pieces as they carved clear cut lines into the ground.

**ZZZZM!**

"Shit!"

Caught unawares, the warmed-up saiyan performed several somersaults **away** from the oncoming discs whilst cursing his late reaction.. or lapse in judgment. _Darn! I forgot that he knows all our moves!_

**Screech! **

Coming to a halt by digging his left heel into the smooth floor, concentration at an all-time high, the warrior calmly side-stepped the first of the two projectiles. _That's one. _

Soon, he leaped cleanly over the other as well as it wizzed past his hovering frame... though his mind was still aware of the first of the pair.

_I can't afford to simply waste time like this. Better end this little game soon._

An idea soon struck the inventive saiyan.

...

Taking to the air as soon as the returning first disc flashed by him, Goku kept flying up and into the clouds... obviously not aiming to slow down, just yet. _Bit more. Gotta get into a clear area above the cloud cover._

* * *

_Hm? _

Arms crossed as he stared up at the speck in the sky, a curious Cell couldn't help but wonder about his fellow combatants strategy, _Just where does he plan on going?_

* * *

_Ah! Perfect! _

Turning in mid-air and harnessing his perfected ki control (clear and cloudless area around him giving him a good view of the homing discs), Goku directed a vast majority of it into his open palms; allowing them to glow with power as he extended the both of them down and towards the oncoming discs. _Yosh. Come at me nice and easy now._

**VOOMM!**

"YAAAAH!"

**BING!**

Crashing against each of the warrior's open palms, the two projectiles took a few 'difficult' moments to dissipate completely…

"Urgh!" _Almost... gah! _

... smoke beginning to appear around the blonde fighter's stationary frame as he remained steady, teeth gritted due to the sheer amount of effort and concentration required to 'tank' the two attacks simultaneously.

At long last, Goku's hastily devised plan managed to pay off.

**Wshhh! **

_Good, that's taken care of. Time for some payback._

Rubbing both of his sore palms together, the de-facto leader of the Z Fighters made his way back down to the ring at breakneck speed.

Along the way, the victorious saiyan couldn't help but celebrate his little achievement, "Phew! That sure took a while! Hehe!" satisfied grin adorning his face.

It was glaringly obvious that he was thoroughly enjoying himself... his innate love for fighting and good competition shining right through.

* * *

**Down below –**

"…"

Smirking at the sight of his attack being foiled, Cell nonetheless hollered up at the man, "You **do** plan on coming down right? Our fight is meant to be seen by your comrades after all! No point in it being a private affair you know!"

Sporting a grim expression once more, Goku kept his retort to himself whilst on his way back down. _Well, __**someone's**__ not very patient._

...

Landing softly upon the hard floor of the ring, the spiky-haired saiyan resumed his stance without further ado… to the further amusement of his opponent.

Taking up his own stance, Cell let loose another jarring remark, "Hmhm, that was quick. I was wondering whether you'd planned on 'running away' from the contest."

Ignoring the jab, Goku merely smiled back before giving his thoughts a verbal form. "Seeing that you possess Freiza's cells, I think it's fair that I share a little something with you, Cell."

Unaffected by the man's calm demeanor this time around, Cell readily complied with the former's proposal, "Oh? And what would that be?"

Without batting an eyelid, Goku gave his foe the answer to his query.

"He tried using that **same** trick on me during our fight. And just like now, it didn't work out for him back then. Instead, his plan backfired… badly."

"..."

Not understanding the connection at all, Cell couldn't help but ask, "And? What does that have to do with anything that's happening now, pray tell?"

Keeping his pleasant exterior intact, the earth-raised saiyan gave another smooth reply, "All I wanna say, Cell, is that no matter what you use against me, it'll either copied from someone else **or** be a move that I've encountered before."

The smart jab, from the likes of someone like Son Goku, made the evil android frown slightly in response. _Hmph, how observant. He's certainly got some nerve too._

However, the experienced saiyan warrior wasn't done… not yet.

"Nothing you throw at me is original," he quipped, unassuming shrug soon following his bold claim, "I guess that's why it's been 'easy' fighting you."

* * *

**At the sidelines –**

"H-He just used my move like it was nothing!" Krillin wailed, and understandable so.

Eyes narrowing at the sight, Tien decided to add some sense to the situation.

"It's nothing to be surprised about Krillin. Seeing as he's got all of our cells in his DNA structure, what **I'm** worried about is how Goku's gonna cope with so many different moves being thrown at him one by one."

Scratching his head at the very idea, Yamcha, who was standing onto Trunks' left side, voiced his thoughts as well. "Yeah but, doesn't he know the weaknesses of all those moves too? He's definitely seen or faced them atleast once before right?"

Nodding his head in compliance with the former bandit, the youth from the future added his own two cents to the discussion.

"Either way, Cell's not gonna ease up on him just because he knows all of that. He's definitely got something else in mind but I just can't figure out what." _Goku is __**really**__ something else. None of us could've hoped to even go toe-to-toe against that monster... but he's doing it with so much ease!_

The three fighters glanced over at Piccolo and Gohan for their views on things…

... only to discover that the pair were thoroughly engrossed with the match at hand.

...

Assessing the exchange thus far, Piccolo narrowed his sharp gaze upon the two fighters in the ring; mind knowing just how tight things were about to get in the next few minutes. _Huh, Cell's not even **trying** to fight. This is just the beginning._

His pupil, on the other hand, was rightfully impressed... as well as disappointed, with his father's progress up until that point; recent discovery being of the sort that made him feel slightly uneasy.

_Wow, dad's really holding his own against that guy. But still, __**why**__ is he wasting time fighting like this? Even after fully mastering the super saiyan form he's gotta finish the job as quickly as possible if we're to win this._

To be fair to the young warrior, Gohan simply could not figure out just what his father's strategy was.

* * *

**With Broly –**

Unimpressed with the ongoing proceedings, the tall man tried his level best to ignore the urge to scoff at the display of power in front of him.

_Just what does that idiot think he's doing? Hurry it up and get this over with if want me to get my turn Kakarot! That green bastard isn't even using his full power on you yet._

"!"

Then, it hit him. Like a sack of bricks to the head.

_Wait a sec! Are they actually-?_

* * *

**In the ring –**

Taken aback slightly at the claim, Cell controlled his urge to retort to the bold accusation...

"Hmph, a cheeky opinion if I ever heard one."

"!"

**POW!**

... well, atleast verbally.

A solid hit and the heroic saiyan had been downed yet again.

_That'll teach him some respect. Wait..._

Only this time however, it was his afterimage.

Grinding his teeth at the fact that his current adversary was actually forcing him to 'try', _Why doesn't he just stay still!_ Cell applied his superior senses to the task at hand before…

"HAAA!"_ I've got him!  
_

Hearing the clarion call coming in from his left, the super-quick android swiftly sidestepped the attack before grabbing onto his attacker's extended right leg... with his right hand.

"Ha! 'Too easy' you say?"

Swinging his snared prey around twice, using both of his hands, Cell finally flung the former, mid-swing, towards one of the four pillars that surrounded his self-made ring.

"Well have a taste of THIS!"

**Weeee!**

"Gah!"

Having been thrown with some serious force, Goku nearly lost his focus for a moment… but only just.

**Fwip!**

Rolling into a ball as his body bee-lined towards the tall pillar, the saiyan landed effortlessly upon it (feet first)… before launching himself right back towards his assailant at an even greater speed.

_One last attack before... 'that'. _

...

Cell, to his credit, was lying in wait for the more-or-less 'expected' counter-attack.

_Come._

Now the 'warm-ups' were officially over and done with for the two gladiators. It was finally time for things to get serious.

* * *

**AN: What a whopper this one turned out to be! 'Action-packed' I hope! XD**

**If any of you managed to notice, I decided to NOT includ****e the reporter (or his cameraman) beyond the first segment of this chapter. I think that using them would serve to only confuse certain folks and also use up too much of space... in the long run.**

**On a different note, the results for the little 'poll' that I had put up previously have come in… with 'Android 18' being the clear-cut winner! (YAY! Sorry Vegeta-fans but do not fear, for he shall get his time to shine too!)**

**PS: This was my first ever attempt at a 'proper fighting sequence', so any sort of suggestions for the same are more than welcome. (Bring out the reviews people!)**

**I hope that the future chaps will be of the same quality (if not higher), seeing as this fic has had a really amazing following thus far (nearly 40 favs!)**

**Next time: "The battle between Goku and Cell heats up further! Just what is Goku's plan and how will affect Broly and Gohan? Also, how will things play out now with Mr. Satan being killed before his time?"**

**Find out next time... on TPC!**


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